Northern Lights
by silverfootsteps
Summary: Sequel to Eastern Suns. If it bites you and you die, it's venomous. If it bites you and you wish you had died, then it's Haruno Sakura. TriadxYakuza AU. Itasaku. ?saku.
1. Chapter 1

**title** Still  
 **summary** _Gaze into the eye of the storm_

* * *

Smoke rose in a single wisp. Climbing up to the ceiling.

She exhaled, gray fumes spilling from her mouth. Clinging to the shape of her chin, her jaw, her lips.

"You have until I get to three to talk," she warned. She bared her white teeth in a smile.

"Three," she declared, examining her nails.

A crack erupted into the night sky. The fragrance of gunpowder lingering on the wind. The smell of metal filled the room. The low yowl of a feral cat called out from somewhere not too far away.

Sakura got to her feet. She wiped her face with her sleeve, red smearing across her cheek.

"Clean that up," she ordered. The crimson bottoms of her heels clicked against the concrete.

* * *

It was a Tuesday night. Which meant that nothing worthwhile was happening. At least, not in this corner of Shibuya. His second beer sat at the top of his stomach. He felt faintly sick, like carsickness that hadn't quite faded. The walls and floors pulsed with a beat that he could almost hear past the doors.

The beaded curtain clicked against itself.

"I said no visitors, Aida," he snarled, lifting his chin.

Eyes sliding open, they followed the woman descending the few steps. The plush carpet muffled the sounds of her movement. Because those footsteps would have warned him of who it was.

His upper lip curled.

" **You**..." he growled. The whites of her eyes gleamed too white.

"Boss Inuzuka," she purred.

The light danced across the scars on the backs of his hands as he moved. He got to his feet. Sakura shoved him back down, hand squeezing his shoulder. She sat on his knee, mouth still smirking.

"Let's talk, old friend," she murmured.

"Fuck you. I have nothing to say to you," he spat.

Her eyebrows rose, like she was genuinely hurt by his tone. Her fingers curled around the back of his neck. Her other hand stroked his cheek. Touches feather-light, almost like she wasn't really there.

Her expression warmed. "You'll like what I have to say," she promised him.

He felt one eyebrow rise.

"...What do you mean?"

* * *

To the south of the city, a phone screen lit up bright blue.

"Boss," Kisame grunted, sliding it across the table.

A smile flickered across Itachi's face as he skimmed through the message. Chin on his fist, he reread the contents, slowly this time.

"Doing whatever she wants..." he murmured. And then his gaze flickered to his right.

"Anything else, gentlemen?" Itachi questioned. The other executives shook their heads. Their gazes pointedly avoiding the phone in his hand. No one had to ask who the message was from.

"Well, then. In the absence of the Yamanaka-kai, I'm handing over all their operations to the Akimichi's," Itachi declared. The round-faced man sitting at the other end of the room bowed his head low. Both hands braced on the edge of the table.

"I won't fail you, _Kumicho_ ," the man promised.

Itachi's eyes narrowed.

"That wasn't even a possibility in my mind, Akimichi-san. Was it in yours?" demanded Itachi. The ice in his voice made the room fall utterly silent. It didn't even sound like anyone was breathing.

Itachi's gaze swept around once before he placed his phone inside his jacket. As he moved to stand, everyone else scrambled to their feet before him. He took his time buttoning his blazer before he shrugged on his coat.

"Gentlemen," Itachi said.

"Good night, Boss," they chorused, bowing to him. Until all he could see where their tops of their thinning hair greeting him.

It was blustery outside. The trees swaying to the left and right, the rare bits of litter tumbling down the sidewalk. The car sat waiting outside. Sasori leaned against the steering wheel, looking vaguely bored. As he usually did.

"That was fast, _Godaime_ ," remarked Sasori as Itachi got in the back seat. Ignoring him, Itachi typed out something. Sasori's phone lit up with an address. He let out a sigh.

"So you want me to cancel the rest of your night, Boss?" asked Sasori as he shifted gears. He pulled the car onto the road, easily merging with the traffic. Itachi turned his face toward the window, hand covering his mouth. Like Sasori didn't know he was smirking.

"Good man, Sasori," replied Itachi.

The car traveled up through Minato, past Tokyo Tower. Crossing through Chuo. They stopped a few blocks from Ginza with its neon lights flickering in and out of focus.

It wasn't difficult to find the place. Like many of Sakura's favorite haunts, the bar was located on the roof. Itachi gave his name at the door. The bouncer unhooked the velvet rope to let him inside, ignoring the complaints of the people grumbling from their places in line.

The inside of the bar was surprisingly busy. A singer crooned on the stage, piano playing in the background. Water gurgled out of fountains in every corner of the room. The patrons of the place sat at round tables, heads close together as they spoke, barely glancing at him as he walked past.

He found her sitting alone. Her white furs dangling from her elbows as she leaned against the bar. The bright shades of her tattoos were probably what were repelling everyone else. Almost like the colors of poisonous snakes warned predators to keep their distance.

Itachi's hand slid over her back before he settled into the stool next to hers.

"Champagne? What are we celebrating?" he inquired.

"Me." And then Sakura shot him a coy look over her shoulder.

"Your humility? Or something else?" Itachi pressed. Because beneath the teasing, real curiosity lurked in his eyes. Sakura raised her eyebrows.

"I won't tell. Not here, at least," she replied.

"Then let's get out of here," Itachi suggested.

"You don't want to have a drink? They're not half bad here," Sakura asked in return, like she couldn't see his impatience. But she didn't feel like torturing him tonight. Draining, her glass, she got out of her chair.

"Lead the way, _leng zaai_ ," she said.

* * *

They took a taxi to her penthouse in Roppongi Hills. It was a rather recent purchase. And though it wasn't quite as beautiful as the one back in Hong Kong, it suited her needs well. The doorman kept his mouth shut, and the quiet location made it easy for her to come and go as she pleased.

Sakura swiped her key card. The lock clicked before the door swung open. The lights in the entrance flickered on when they sensed movement. Sakura let out a sigh of relief as she stepped out of her heels. Pulling her furs off, she dragged them behind her as she headed into the apartment. The lights illuminating her path as she triggered the sensors.

"Red or white?" she called.

"Red," answered Itachi as he took off his shoes.

By the time he made it to the kitchen, Sakura had already popped open a bottle of wine. She stood washing her hands in the sink. The diamonds in her ears twinkled as she turned her head in his direction.

"Busy night tonight?" he asked, glancing over her outfit.

"Not particularly. Although, Inuzuka Kiba is being difficult lately," Sakura responded. Itachi's mouth pulled up in the corners.

"I can't imagine why. Especially after you shot him in both his hands," he retorted, picking up his glass. Sakura's eyes narrowed. She wiped her hands on a clean towel before she took her drink. They clinked glasses together.

"Are you saying he didn't deserve it?" Sakura asked, watching as Itachi sipped his drink.

"No. What I'm saying is that you're going to have to be a little persuasive if you want the Inuzuka-kai to do you any favors," Itachi corrected her. He took another sip of his wine.

"Perhaps," she murmured. And then, she looked him over. "Anything interesting on your end?" Sakura turned the conversation around.

They traded a few details about their days as they drank their wine. Itachi finished his first, which was rare. Sakura was usually on her second or third glass by the time he got through one. But she just kept it in her palm, occasionally swirling the drink around. She had barely gotten through half of it by the time they headed upstairs.

Sakura passed him the glass as she headed to the bathroom. She stood at the mirror, peeling her false eyelashes off. Itachi watched from the doorway. She rubbed blue liquid onto her eyelids, melting off the eyeliner and sparkling shadow.

"What do you hope to achieve by giving the Akimichi's an advantage?" Sakura inquired as she rubbed cleanser into a lather before rubbing it on her face. Her hands moved in circles, erasing all traces of her makeup.

"Well, the Sarutobi's have always been a nuisance. But I'm hearing rumors that the old man might be exchanging sake with the Aburame's," Itachi informed her. As Sakura rinsed her face, she considered this. She straightened, patting her skin dry with a towel. And then she look at Itach in the mirror.

"And you don't want the Akimichi's getting any ideas about trying to get in on that action," Sakura concluded. Itachi nodded. Sakura tossed the towel onto the counter. She headed out of the bathroom, and he followed her.

"You've been tolerating the Sarutobi's for a while. Have you considered just dealing with them?" suggested Sakura.

Itachi sat on the edge of the bed, still holding onto her wine glass.

"Do you really think that the Sarutobi's will be willing to negotiate?" he asked. His eyes followed her as she walked to the vanity. Her earrings tinkled as she pulled them out, set them in the tray. She took her time pulling off her rings and dropping them one-by-one. When she caught his gaze in the mirror, she saw him taking a sip of her wine. Pulling the bobby pins from her hair, she turned around.

"Then don't negotiate," Sakura told him. Itachi chuckled.

"Of course. There's the Haruno Sakura way. Maybe I should just have you shoot him for me," Itachi sighed. Hair hanging in loose curls, Sakura smirked at him.

She took slow steps toward him. His free hand reached out for her. Palm smoothing over the curve of her hip. Behind and up. Fingers splaying over the small of her back.

She sat on his lap to reclaim her wine glass. Her other hand resting on his shoulder.

"Well..." she hedged, eyes wandering as she thought. Her gaze only fell back on him when she felt him take her left hand. His fingertip traced the lightbulb tattoo on the inside of her wrist. And then Itachi bent his head to kiss it.

"You'll have to persuade _me_ to do that, _Kumicho_. The Sarutobi's are currently helping me move _a lot_ of product through Tokyo. They're the opposite of a problem for me," Sakura pointed out.

Itachi laughed, teeth showing past his lips. He kissed her palm before he pressed his cheek against it.

"You _like_ shooting people, though," Itachi reminded her.

Lowering her glass, Sakura offered him a smile.

"But you like that about me," she pointed out.

"That, I do," he replied.

Neither of them was in a rush that night. He nuzzled into her neck, tickling her with kisses. She sighed. Finishing off her wine before she pushed him onto his back. She stared down at him, eyes soft as she set her glass on the nightstand.

"What're you in the mood for?" she inquired.

His hand slid up the outside of her thigh, curling around her hipbone.

"You," he answered.

Sliding the straps of her dress off her shoulders, she smiled.

"Alright," she replied.

* * *

He stayed the night. Some days he did- others he didn't. She tried to pretend that she didn't care either way.

Her ear pressed to his chest, she never admitted how much easier it was to fall asleep with another set of breaths matching with hers.

Itachi stirred, his eyes barely cracking open in the dark.

"What's wrong?" he asked her. Even though she knew that he couldn't see her face.

"Nothing," she lied. And his sigh told her that he wasn't fooled. His arm curled around her, hand stroking up and down her arm.

"Do you want more wine?" Itachi tried.

"No."

"A massage?"

She shook her head.

He blew out a long breath that ruffled her hair. And then his hand stilled.

"Do you have any smokes?" he queried.

Wrapped up in blankets, they sat on the balcony. Listening to the rush of cars in the distance. Inhaling the fragrance of winter retreating. Soon, spring would settle over the city, cherry blossoms filling the skyline with pink petals. Coating the grass and the sidewalks.

Itachi tilted his head, let her press the tip of her cigarette against his. He watched her through the rising wisps as the end of her cigarette ignited. The soft sizzle of paper whispering to them. She drew back first. Smoke seeped from the corners of her mouth, making his face blur for a moment. But then it dissipated. And his expression hadn't changed.

Itachi's eyes narrowed a little as he looked at her. Hie eyelashes cast pointed shadows across the tops of his cheekbones.

"Are you happy, Sakura?" he asked her. Out of the blue. And the question caught her by surprise. She couldn't even muster a half-hearted lie.

"Are you?" she questioned in return.

Itachi was quiet for a long while. And then he raised and lowered one shoulder.

"I'm not _unhappy_ ," he told her.

And Sakura said nothing. Because she knew that if she tried to say even that, it would sound so obviously false. She just inhaled, letting the smoke fill her mouth so that words wouldn't have to.


	2. Chapter 2

**title** Silhouette  
 **summary** _Smudge the lines together_

* * *

White flakes fell on the skylight. Iridescent powder that melted almost as soon as it hit the glass. Sakura watched the snow turn to dots of water. Her foot dangled off the edge of the bed when she stretched her leg out.

Water trickled out of the faucet in the bathroom. She could hear it. And the soft rhythm of a toothbrush scratching back-and-forth, back-and-forth.

"I'm going back to Hong Kong. There's some business to take care of," Sakura announced.

The brushing paused. Her phone buzzed from the vanity, lighting up the ceiling blue with a new notification. She closed her eyes. Listened until she heard the brushing resume. To the sounds of him rinsing his mouth out. And then that strange silence when the water turned off.

The mattress dipped. She turned her head to the left and found his back as he plugged his phone in to charge. She traced her finger over the tattoo of the blue peonies spread around the base of his spine. He twisted to look at her. She drew her hand back. There wasn't really a word for the expression on his face.

Itachi's palm settled over the side of her face. Her eye closed when his finger brushed her lashes. His thumb pressed over the closed lid before it traced the sharpness of her cheekbone under the skin. Her eye opened again.

"What? No complaints? Pleas for me to stay?" she asked. He let out a long breath through his nose. Forearm resting beside her head, he leaned over her.

"As if that would change your mind," replied Itachi. Smiling, she reached up, linking her fingers behind his neck.

"Oh, don't be like that, _leng zai._ Why not use that mouth to convince me?" she suggested.

"You _hate_ sweet talk," Itachi pointed out. She licked her lips, eyes narrowing.

"That's not what I meant," she said.

* * *

He didn't manage to convince her to stay. She did seriously consider changing her mind in the middle of her second orgasm. Struggling to get enough air as her thighs tightened around his head. And then a laughing almost-sob escaped her mouth as he kept going. Until she feared that the stars dancing in her vision would never go away.

Her legs were wobbly as she dressed in the morning. As she pulled on her stockings, she noticed the bite mark he had left on her inner thigh. Itachi watched her, still lounging in bed. His smug expression almost annoyed her. She knew that if he turned around, she would see the raised red lines her nails had left behind. They would heal over in the next few days anyway.

"Should I try to sway you again?" he suggested as he watched Sakura fasten her skirt. She glanced at him.

"I'd like to not _completely_ lose the ability to walk, thank you very much," Sakura retorted.

"You don't seem that unhappy about it," he pointed out, needlessly. And that smugness in his voice wasn't something she hated.

He sent her off with a kiss, cupping her cheek like she was some precious thing. Sighing, she leaned into that touch. Lips parting, hands closing around his wrist.

"Careful," he warned. She opened her eyes. Found him smiling. "I don't want to be responsible for making you miss that flight."

He didn't ask for promises for phone calls. He knew her better than that. His thumb stroked over her cheek one last time before he released her.

The flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong was beyond familiar by now. Sakura had a glass of complimentary champagne, staring out the window as the tarmac disappeared underneath her. The ocean stretched out, grey and restless on every side. Watching the waves undulate, Sakura felt the same unease settle in the pit of her stomach.

Tenten was waiting for her when the plane landed in Hong Kong a few hours later. Sakura didn't understand why Tenten didn't just send one of her underlings to pick her up. After all, Tenten was a Red Pole now. And the Jade Gang was doing rather well under her leadership.

Sai got out of the passenger seat to open up the back door for her.

"Aunt Cheng," he greeted her, bowing.

" _Sai lo_ ," she greeted him in return. His lips turned up as he straightened. And when she settled in the backseat, Zabuza dipped his head. Their eyes met in the rearview mirror.

"Boss, did I read your message right? You really want to head to _Chek Chue_? Right now?" asked Tenten as she got into the back of the car too. She checked her watch- the diamonds and gold sparkling as it moved.

"I do," replied Sakura. And though she was smiling, there was an edge to it. Tenten didn't press her further on it. Zabuza pulled onto the road, his tongue between his teeth.

 _Chek Chue_ was a good hour's drive from the airport. It was also known by its English name: Stanley. It was a bustling town, located at the southern tip of Hong Kong island. It wasn't a place that Sakura visited often. In fact, it wasn't a place someone would go looking for 24K. There were two reasons for this.

The first was that the territory fo the north was controlled by the vicious Huang group. Who were rumored to gouge out the eyeballs of their rivals and pop them like candy between their teeth. The second reason was that Stanley was home to the maximum security prison where Hong Kong's worst criminals were left to rot in their cells.

As the car crossed onto the peninsula, Sakura scrolled through her unread messages.

"So, Boss, are you going to tell us why we're heading to Stanley?" Sai inquired.

"I've got a date," replied Sakura.

Tenten rubbed her face with her hands, sighing. "I knew it."

Nobody dared say the name out loud. There was no need.

* * *

There was a loud buzz before the door slid open. Sakura waited, arms folded across her chest. The guard eyed her. She wore a tweed coat over a white turtleneck. She had taken care with her makeup to look as demure as she could. Hair lightly curled, lipstick a blushing shade of rose. The guard seemed to be considering all of this because it took him a moment before he waved her through.

The visiting room was to the left. There was a glass window, through which she could see inmates sitting at tables. Whenever they touched hands across the table, a guard barked at them to separate. One woman wept, clinging to her child while the inmate across from her sat mute, his face a portrait of misery.

But Sakura passed these scene. Ignoring the tears, the lips that formed apologies. Her steps were sure as she headed further down the hall. Into a separate room. Another guard patted her down before waving her on.

It was a grey room, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. The guard directed her to one of the metal stools bolted to the ground. It faced a thick glass pane. Each stool was separated by a small partition, likely to offer the illusion of privacy. As if there weren't cameras at every angle of the room. A phone hung on the left side of each partition.

Sakura sat, crossing one leg over the other. She rested her hands in her lap.

She knew when he had arrived. She could feel his glare sizzling into her. But she took her time picking up the phone, a smile on her lips before she lifted her chin.

"Hi there, handsome. Come here often?" she greeted him.

"... _Sei bat po_ ," Tobirama cursed through his teeth.

"Flirting already?" Sakura replied, putting a hand on her chest. Tobirama's eyes narrowed into slits.

"You must have a death wish showing up like this," he declared. Sakura leaned back a little, her smile dimming a bit.

"Careful, Tobirama," she warned. Ice creeping into her voice. And then her gaze flickered up to one of the cameras around the room. Tobirama's eyes darted up toward it too.

"Wouldn't want you getting your sentence extended for bad behavior," she warned him.

He glowered at her.

"What do you want?" Tobirama demanded.

This wasn't the first time Sakura had visited someone in prison. So in all her experience, she had noticed that there were usually two outcomes for a man who ended up in the slammer.

The first, most common one was the man that wasted away. Eyes sunken and shifty, often punctuated by bruises and scratches. They turned into walking skeletons. Driven mad by their dreams of finally seeing the outside word one day.

But from the way Tobirama glared at her, she could tell that that wasn't the case with him. She wasn't surprised. In fact, other than the silvery stubble on his face and the lack of product in his hair, he didn't look much different.

The biggest change, perhaps, was the rage that simmered in his eyes. She had seen it before plenty of times. She had just never been on the receiving end of it.

"If this glass wasn't between us, would you be beating me into a pulp right now? Or would you be stabbing me?" Sakura queried, head tilting. He didn't respond.

"Something else then? Kinky," she went on. She watched Tobirama's free hand twitch a little. Fingers bending into claws, like he would love to tighten them around her throat.

"Brown's a good color on you," Sakura commented, glancing over his uniform. His identification number was sewn into the pocket over the left side of his chest.

His lips drew apart, revealing his clenched teeth.

"Hm. I thought you'd be more curious about what's going on outside. I guess not," she lamented, gauging his expression. She wasn't disappointed when something sparked deep in his eyes.

"Make no mistake, _Jing-Mei_ ," he warned, "The only reason you're still alive is because I haven't decided _how_ I'm going to kill you yet. Not because I can't."

He kept the receiver close to his mouth, almost whispering. At this, Sakura's eyebrows rose. She caught the guard scrutinizing them from the door. She waited until the guard looked away before she dropped her smile completely.

Leaning in close to the glass, she whispered back, "You'd do well not to piss me off, Tobirama. I'm not an unpopular person either." And then she leaned back, smile returning.

"Well," sighed Sakura, getting to her feet. She ran her fingers through her hair once. "Maybe you'll be in a better mood the next time I see you."

"Go to hell," Tobirama snarled.

"Not without you, darling," Sakura replied. She placed the receiver back in the cradle. She blew him a kiss before she turned to head out of the room. And she could feel his stare burning into her back as she strolled out.

The guard followed her out of the room. Their shoes tapped against the concrete floors. They headed the opposite way now, up the same hallway. Past the visitation room. All the way to the security check. Sakura signed back out as one of the guards brought out her clutch. She accepted it without looking up. Hands fumbled. Her bag fell to the ground, a compact and a tube of lipstick clattering across the ground.

"My apologies, Ma'am," the guard muttered, stooping to help her retrieve her things.

"Accidents happen," replied Sakura. She piled her things back into the clutch before she straightened.

When she emerged from the prison, it was raining outside. Just a little drizzle that didn't seem sure whether to keep going or not. The car pulled up to get her. Tenten opened the door from the inside. It would look suspicious if she made a show of getting out to open it. Sakura slipped into the seat, brushing droplets of water off her hair.

"How is he?" asked Sai as Zabuza drove them down the road.

"Not as upset as I expected. He only threatened me twice," answered Sakura, glancing down at her nails.

"Where to next, Boss?" Zabuza questioned, looking at her in the rearview mirror. He pulled them onto the highway, one hand spinning the steering wheel.

"Central. I'd like to see my other Red Poles today," Sakura declared.


	3. Chapter 3

**title** Driftwood  
 **summary** _Questions that don't need answers_

* * *

Sakura choked down air as she opened her eyes. Fingers fumbling under her pillow. Sweat making her shirt stick to her stomach and legs. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she found her Desert Eagle. The metal still cold. She could feel the phantom hands closing around her throat.

She closed her eyes again. Feeling her heart hammer against the inside of her chest as she took deep breaths.

Each inhale trembled on its way down her throat. The breaths shook just as badly on their way out of her mouth. Resting her forearm on her knee, she leveled her gun at the door. Listening.

It took her a long time to realize that it was pouring outside. Wind buffeted the trees, whipping the branches around in wild motions. The rain came down sideways, droplets spraying the tall windows. The water slid down the skylights until it looked like the entire place was underwater.

Still unsure of what had woken her in the first place, Sakura finally dropped her gun onto the bed.

"It was just a bad dream," she told herself.

And as the wind blew outside, she could hear it carrying the whisper of an old voice.

"You'll always be just another call girl, Mei."

"Fuck you," she said to no one.

* * *

One of Sakura's favorite recent purchases was a building overlooking Victoria Harbor. It had a clear view of the waters, which were blue or grey depending on the day. She liked being at this part of the island. She liked the height of the office, and the privacy owning the building afforded.

She was well-aware of the similarities between this place and the former Dragon Head's office. Right off the harbor. A building that housed other businesses that ranged from legitimate to murky in terms of legality.

But this was right by the Central and Western District Promenade. It was in a clean part of the city. Well-developed and well-trafficked. As long as she kept her tattoos hidden, no one would think to single her out. With her sleek hair and pastel outfits, she fit in with the countless other well-dressed women who milled around the area.

She lifted her sunglasses on top of her head as she walked into the building.

"Good morning, Ma'am," the security guard greeted her. She nodded as she strode past. Heels echoing against the marble floor. Pink clutch tucked under her arm.

The gold doors to the elevator opened and she hit the top button for her office. The elevator didn't budge until she punched in the correct code. When the gold doors slid open again, it was into a small lobby. There was a sign with the name of the shell company she had chosen to buy the building under. It was registered as some sort of media distributor. Sakura hadn't handled the details herself, so she was a little murky on the details. That suited her just fine.

By the time people began arriving at her office, the door was unlocked. She sat at her desk, the sunlight from the windows hugging her silhouette. A cigarette rested on the edge of the ashtray. And her red lips smiled as she tilted her head. She crooked her finger.

"Sai," Sakura greeted him. He had slicked back his hair. Unbuttoning his jacket, he dipped his head before he crossed the threshold. His eyes darted around the room once, counting security cameras, searching for extra people. And only when he seemed satisfied did he finally meet her eyes.

"You're smiling," he observed. The suspicion in his tone almost made her smile again.

"Can't I just be happy to see you?" she protested. But the look Sai shot her said that he knew better than to trust her. She almost wanted to praise him.

The diamond in his ear glinted as he turned to look out the window. He had one hand in his pocket. She lifted her cigarette to her lips, drawing in a deep breath. There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," she called.

Sai moved to stand by the window. His hand still tucked away in his pocket. The other resting on the windowsill. He didn't bother to greet the man who walked into the room. Sai had showed up to protect Sakura, not to be part of the welcoming committee.

"Suigetsu," Sakura uttered.

"Aunt Cheng," he greeted her with a deep bow. Then, he had a seat.

She liked that about him. That he didn't flap his lips with idle flattery.

She eyed his suit, the hint of stubble rising along his jaw. She had never expected one of Kabuto's men to clean up so well.

"Do you mind if I smoke, Aunt Cheng?" Suigetsu then inquired. Sakura's eyes flickered down to the cigarette resting between her lips. A thin wisp rising from it, waving back and forth in a drunken rhythm. But when she looked back at Suigetsu, he didn't seem to take the hint. Because he sat, waiting for her response. Snorting, she gave a single nod.

Suigetsu reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a black cigarette case. With a flick of his wrist, he plucked one out and placed it between his lips. He leaned in. And Sakura simply stared at him.

He seemed to realize that he had crossed a line. He leaned back a little, expression tight. She held his gaze for a long time before she tossed her lighter at him.

" _M'hou yi si_ , Aunt Cheng," he apologized. She said nothing, letting him sit in that discomfort for a little while. Her eyes pinned him in place as she drew in another long inhale from her cigarette. Smoke hissed out of his mouth.

They talked business.

More accurately, Suigetsu spoke. Sakura's eyes drifted as she listened. The sunlight streaming in through the windows highlighted every speck of dust in the air. She touched the ones that landed on top of her desk, wiping them to the side.

She was well-aware when Suigetsu stopped speaking. But she let him stew in that silence. For quite some time. Until even Sai was looking at her.

When she spoke, she enunciated each syllable. Pausing between words. Stretching them out like long threads of dragon's beard candy being pulled over and over again.

"You've done well these last several months. Do not disappoint me."

She tapped her cigarette against her ash tray. And then her gaze flickered up to him. Piercing through his eyes, gouging into his brain. He jolted a little.

Suigetsu nodded, his throat bobbing as he swallowed. When she leaned back in her chair, Suigetsu got to his feet. He gave another deep bow before he made his way out of the office. She glimpsed him loosening his tie as he waited for the elevator.

"Do you think he's a rat?" asked Sai when the door swung shut.

This wasn't the first time Sakura had considered this.

Suigetsu was a kid. Not even in his thirties yet. But according to her sources, he had been a favorite of Kabuto's. No matter how well he ran his territories, she had no idea of knowing what Kabuto had been telling him for all these years. That impression wouldn't disappear simply because she'd been promoted.

Sakura smashed her cigarette into the ashtray. Grinding it in circles as the paper and tobacco spilled onto her fingertips. The heat of the still-burning tip stung just a bit.

When she had taken the Chrysanthemum Gang's territory, she had intended to give it to Sai. After all, he was loyal and hardworking. Besides the knack for slicing and disemboweling, he also had a surprisingly good head on his shoulders. It had surprised her when he had turned her down.

" _Look, Boss. I'm very flattered. Really_ ," he had assured her, flipping a knife in his hand. Tossing it up in the air. Catching it. " _But I'm not interested in caring about anyone other than you…. And maybe Tenten_." Though he had smiled, she had known that he wasn't joking. And after mulling it over, she had decided that he was right.

The Chrysanthemum Gang's territories had gone to someone else instead. Who, while not as trustworthy, was just as unlikely to cause problems for her. At least, for the time being.

"You look troubled, Red Eyes," Sakura commented as the next Red Pole sat in front of her.

Obito touched his lower lip with his thumb. And then he lifted his head.

"Well, you can hardly blame me for being wary around you..." he replied.

Sai turned away from the window, eyes narrowing. His left hand reached into his suit jacket.

"What do you mean, Red Eyes?" asked Sakura, almost sneering.

"Well, you did fucking murder my brother in front of me," Obito snapped.

There was a flash of bright light the instant before the bang echoed. Smoke rose from the tip of Sai's gun. There was a hole burnt into the armrest just a few inches from where Obito's hand sat. The bullet jammed into the upholstery.

"Show some fucking respect, _lan yeung_ ," Sai warned.

Obito slowly moved his hand into his lap. His eyes darted from the still-smoking hole in the chair, to Sai, and then over to Sakura. She simply smiled.

"Tell me, Red Eyes. How are things going?"

"Tobirama's men aren't exactly happy right now. There's a rumor going around that you're responsible for him being in prison right now," he told her.

Sakura's mouth didn't smile. But her eyes glittered as she surveyed him.

"And?" she prompted.

Obito held her stare. His mouth twitched, like he was about to say something. And then he let out a long sigh.

"I'll handle it," he told her. But Sakura continued to stare at him. He let out another sigh.

"...Boss," he added.

Obito went on for a little while longer. His Cantonese had improved somewhat, but no one would believe that he was really from Macau like he claimed. He spoke a mixture of English and Cantonese, which, luckily, masked the clumsiness of some of his pronunciations.

"I'll have it all arranged by the end of the month. He shouldn't be a problem anymore," Obito concluded. And as he got out the chair, he cast a look at Sai, who pretended to be busy looking out the window again.

"Obito," she called. Obito glanced her way, expression just as wary.

"I do keep my promises. Remember that."

Obito glanced down. A smirk touched his lips.

" _Hou aa_ , Boss," he agreed. He headed out, running his hand through his hair.

Sakura didn't move as the door clicked shut behind Obito. Even when Sai moved to sit on the edge of her desk, she didn't stir. Deep in thought, she only looked up when Sai offered her a fresh cigarette.

"What is it?" asked Sai.

Sakura raised the cigarette to her lips. Paused. And then let it rest against her bottom lip.

"Nothing," she replied. She gestured with the cigarette towards him.

"Go home, Sai," Sakura then ordered. Sai hesitated, mouth opening once. But as he scanned her expression, he closed it again.

"Alright, Boss," he said, sliding off the desk.

Sakura finished her cigarette before she got up too. She had a headache and a million things to do. But those things could wait, she decided, as she walked to the elevator. Because right now, all she wanted was a drink. Before she could touch the doorknob, her phone rang from inside her clutch.

The number that flashed across the screen had already been saved. She let it ring one more time before she answered.

"Don't you know that it's not polite to keep a lady waiting?" she uttered.

"Since when were you a lady?" Tobirama retorted.

"I'm surprised it took you so long to call. Did you not know how to use a phone?" she teased.

"The guard just got it to me today," Tobirama told her.

When she had dropped her bag in the big prison at Stanley, she had made sure that the extra phone had fallen too. Sliding under the counter, where the cameras couldn't see. And the right guard had seen it. She had made sure.

"How many of the guards in here are yours?" demanded Tobirama. Oddly enough, he didn't sound angry. His voice bordered along something that sounded almost impressed.

"Enough," replied Sakura.

There was a pause. And she almost thought Tobirama had hung up until she heard him exhale.

"Alright. What do you want?" he asked her.

Sakura smiled at that. Of course Tobirama understood. She wouldn't just _give_ him a cell phone- arguably the most coveted piece of contraband for prisoners.

"Get me a usable connection to the Russians," Sakura replied. And then she ended the call. She knew that would leave Tobirama fuming, which only made her smile widen.

* * *

It began to rain that night. A gentle drizzle that lasted long past dawn. The winter shower caught many by surprise. The meteorologist commented on the strange weather during the morning news. Sakura glanced through the headlines as she waited for her coffee to brew. She finished off the red wine she had left on the counter the night before.

Suddenly, bright colors interrupted the story of a woman who had won the lottery. The breaking news flashed across the screen in huge symbols.

Two dead bodies had turned up in Causeway Bay. The gruesome photos revealed the bloated corpses with their white skin. Their eye sockets and mouths filled with cherry blossoms. The pink petals floated across the top of the water like they did during the spring in Japan.

Sakura stood in front of the muted TV.

"Impressive," she murmured to herself as she dialed up her inside man at the Hong Kong Police Department.

"Tell me about those bodies at Causeway."


	4. Chapter 4

**title** Tundra  
 **summary** _Don't say dasvidaniya just yet._

* * *

Sakura arched an eyebrow. "Rubles?" she repeated.

Tenten nodded, fidgeting with a particularly sharp knife. She sat on the arm of the chair, one elbow resting on Sai's shoulder. He didn't seem particularly annoyed by the lack of personal space.

"Cops say that they were fed hundreds of Russian coins before they were killed," Tenten reported.

"They literally would have been shitting rubles," Sai added, chuckling at the very idea.

But Sakura let out a sigh, leaning back in her seat.

"That lacks creativity. And here I thought we'd finally see something interesting," she lamented. She glanced at the bottle of whiskey Sai had brought with him. It was an expensive imported brand. She poured herself a glass. Because if she was going to be bored, she might as well be drunk.

"Mm... I wouldn't really say that, Boss. They all had the same serial number on them," Tenten added.

Sakura turned her head toward her. "Oh?"

"We're trying to figure out if it's a code or something. Maybe coordinates? Or a phone number?" Tenten went on.

Sakura smiled, white teeth flashing before she took a gulp of her whiskey. She exhaled, feeling the burn travel down her throat, settling in her stomach. Stinging and warm all at once. She tilted her glass a little before she glanced up.

" _Hou_. Tell me more."

* * *

Lotus and Bloom was rather busy when Sakura arrived. Not so busy that the hostess didn't recognize her when she stepped out of the elevator. She bowed deeply, hands folded across her stomach. Sakura followed her up to the second floor where her table sat waiting.

"We'll have your wine out in a moment, ma'am," the woman said as she handed Sakura the menu. Sakura didn't respond, running her finger across the thick leather.

Sakura peered over the edge of the balcony, down at the tops of people's heads below. She turned her head when a waiter arrived to set a glass of dark red wine down in front of her.

"Would you like to hear tonight's specials?" he asked.

He was attractive. Long-eyelashes, narrow eyes. As she looked him over, he seemed to feel the shift in her gaze. The way it turned predatory, just for an instant.

But then her gaze darted up to meet his eyes. And he flinched.

"Yes," she sighed, no longer interested.

She let him rattle off the long list, not really listening. And when he waited for her to order, she picked the first special. Tenten and Chojuro arrived not long after the waiter had taken her order. They stepped up to the second floor. Chojuro in a grey suit and Tenten in a sparkling green dress. Chojuro held her hand as they walked, like she needed help balancing.

They headed to the bar, only nodding at her as they passed. Looking too friendly wouldn't be good. There was no guarantee that they weren't being watched already.

Sakura swirled her wine around in the glass. Letting it warm against her palm. Watching the flames on the candles flicker when she exhaled against them. The bright tongues of fire wobbled but didn't die.

She was vaguely aware of the chime of the elevator arriving on the seventh floor. Setting her wine down, she rubbed her thumb along the edge of her lower lip. Just to make sure that her lipstick hadn't smeared. She lifted her chin when she heard shoes tapping up the stairs.

The golden hair caught her attention first. There were two men- both so blond that their heads almost seemed to glow. As they came up the stairs, their eyes fell on her table in the corner. The one right next to the glass barriers that gave a clear view of most of the first floor of the restaurant.

The hostess gestured to the empty seats across from Sakura. And then she bowed before she made a quick exit.

The younger of the two nodded at Sakura before he took a seat. Sakura took in the high bridge of his nose and the thick, nearly translucent eyelashes that fanned around his stare. His eyes were impossibly blue, glinting like he knew some sort of secret.

His companion had a seat too. He was older, his gaze sharper. They had the same eyes, the same broad shoulders. Sakura took a sip of wine to hide her smile. She was acutely aware of how her guests followed her every move. She used the corner of her napkin to dab at her mouth.

"I'm wondering if I should have brought an interpreter. My English isn't so good these days," Sakura said, testing the waters. She was unsurprised when the older man replied in near-perfect Cantonese.

"We've been doing business with the Triads for many years. It would be inconvenient if we needed an interpreter each time." When he smiled, there were faint crinkles around his eyes, like he had spent a lifetime making the expression. Until the smile had carved its way into his very skin.

Sakura didn't return the gesture.

"If you've been doing business with other groups for so long, why reach out to me now?" Sakura asked.

The younger man rubbed the side of his nose as he spoke. "Honestly, we had no interest. Everyone knows that the Dragon Head of the 24K has little love for Russians," he replied. And although there was some clumsiness in some of his pronunciations, his Cantonese wasn't half-bad either.

Sakura's attention shifted to him.

"Then I'm sure that you're busy enough supplying guns to the Inuzuka-kai and the like. I still don't see the point in this meeting. And you went to such lengths to get my attention," she pressed, just to gauge his reaction.

The rubles inside the bodies found in Causeway Bay had been easy to decipher. The serial numbers pointed to the coordinates of this very restaurant. And instead of the year they were minted, the coins had a date and time. Sakura had anticipated something a little more compelling when Tenten had reported her findings.

Admittedly, this was better than some of the boorish dealings of their allied Huang Group. And it was certainly preferable to the butchered bodies that their rival Suns left lying in the alleys of the city. But it was all a little too easy. She had hoped for something a bit more challenging.

"We got a call from a very old friend. He asked us just to meet with you. And what we'd heard was that you were not an easy woman to get a hold of," the younger man finally explained. He reached into his jacket pocket. Sakura didn't move. But she caught Tenten tilting her head in their direction, seemingly immersed in conversation with Chojuro. Waiting for the moment she would have to intervene.

He tossed a clear plastic bag on the table. Inside were a handful of bullet casings. Next, in an identical bag were diamonds of various shapes and sizes.

"Our friend didn't specify why you'd like to meet. But these are usually the two things people come to us for," he declared. And then he draped his arm over the back of the booth, watching her. The pride in his expression shone through in those eyes.

Sakura didn't touch either of the bags. She eyed them both over the rim of her wine glass as she took another sip.

"You're not impressed..." the older man observed. Sakura glanced at him. His eyebrows rose as he took in her expression. She didn't respond.

"I have no interest in dealing with strangers. And without a proper greeting, you'll remain strangers to me," Sakura declared. The younger man's smirk dissolved. Eyes hardening, he reached into his jacket again.

This time, a knife came whizzing through the air. It embedded itself deeply into the table just in front of him. Both men's heads whipped around to find Tenten and Chojuro still sitting at the bar. Tenten was staring at them, eyes gleaming. Chojuro sat with his back to them, still enjoying his drink, like he was oblivious to everything going on behind him.

"I don't know if other people find this whole routine charming," Sakura sighed. Their attention returned to her. She picked up the plastic bag that held the diamonds. Shook them a little bit. "But rudeness doesn't sit well with me." Sakura threw the diamonds back onto the table as if they were made of shit.

The younger man drew his gun. He held it steady, aiming between her eyes. Sakura ignored him as she spotted the waiter walking up the stairs with a tray. His eyes went wide when he saw the gun pointed at her. But Sakura smiled, motioning for him to come over. The tray rattled as he approached.

"Good timing. I was just getting hungry," she said. The terrified waiter set her plate in front of her. Eyes bouncing from the gun to her, back and forth. His jaw was held tight. But he only retreated when Sakura nodded at him. Even then, he didn't run. His brisk steps led him down the stairs, back into the kitchen.

Sakura dipped her pinky into the red sauce on her plate. It was sweet but also tart. And then, like she had forgotten all about it, she lifted her head to look down the barrel of the gun. Her smile returned.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Sakura warned. She reached out and wrenched Tenten's knife out of the table. Picking up her fork, she used Tenten's knife to begin carving her steak. The older man pursed his lips, like he was trying not to smile. The younger man didn't notice because he was glaring at the bar now.

Tenten held a revolver in each hand. One aimed at each of them. Chojuro had turned too, tossing back the rest of his drink as he raised his own arm. And then a point of bright red light appeared on the table. It wobbled for a second before it traveled. Coming to rest directly on the chest of the older man. His companion cast the light an angry look before he focused back on Sakura.

Sakura dipped a slice of her steak into the red sauce.

"I mean, you can kill me. But you'll also die here. And I think that might ruin your night," Sakura went on, her voice light. She took a bite of her food. The dry-aged steak melted in her mouth, buttery and crisp all at the same time. She savored the flavors that spread across her tongue. She sliced off more steak as she chewed.

"So either pull that trigger, or fuck off so I can finish my dinner," she ordered. Eyes locking with the older one, she ate another slice of her steak. Teeth scraping over her lower lip, tongue darting out to lick up a stray drop of sauce.

The two men exchanged looks. Slowly, the younger of the two lowered his gun. The red point of light didn't budge. Neither did Tenten. The older man muttered something to him in Russian.

The younger one reached for the plastic bags. Sakura slammed the point of the knife back into the table. His hand froze. The blade had landed in between his middle and ring fingers. She didn't look at him as she continued enjoying her meal.

She listened to them slide out of the booth. To their polished shoes clacking across the floor as they headed down the stairs. Only when the elevator doors slid open did the red point of light disappear.

" _Wei_ , Boss, wasn't this supposed to be a friendly meeting?" Sai asked into her ear. She could hear the clicking as he adjusted his rifle. Tenten snorted.

"That _was_ friendly. Fuck the Russians," Tenten remarked. She leaned toward Chojuro, shoving her guns back into the holsters he wore under his jacket. Chojuro spread his arms to the sides to give her better access. When he lowered his arms, there was no trace of the firearms.

Tenten tapped the counter. When the bartender looked up, she slid her empty glass down to him. He caught it and refilled it with more whiskey.

"Boss, I still don't understand. You don't _need_ anything from the Russians. Why did you even bother with them?" Chojuro questioned. Sakura only smiled as she cut herself another generous slice of steak.

* * *

Sakura flew back to Tokyo the following evening. The complementary champagne warmed her. She stared out the window, watching the sparkling shapes of Hong Kong fade from view. The ocean was so dark that it almost looked like a void had opened up in the earth. As if the plane would plummet into the depths of hell if it chose to land.

The five-hour flight was a familiar passage by now. Sakura closed her eyes, letting the flight attendants think she was sleeping. The drink cart clattered by now and again. She pretended to rouse once to accept another glass of champagne. And after she downed it, she came very close to actually falling asleep.

Chouji picked her up from the airport. He wore his hair slicked back, just like Zabuza. She found it a little funny how much he looked up to the older man. And in a way, she was a little envious. That all it took was a single grunt or nod from Zabuza to light up Chouji's face. She wondered if she had ever lived life so simply.

It had snowed in her absence. The streets of Ginza were dusted in the white powder. The most garish billboards and neon signs were muted under a layer of ice. Softening them. Making them seem almost beautiful. The car idled just down the block from Twilight Dreams. Sakura lowered the window, watching as the men entered and exited through the front door. A few flakes of snow drifted into the car. Chouji didn't complain about the cold air, only turned the heat up.

"You're not heading inside, Boss?" he finally asked after a while. He glanced at her in the rearview mirror. She shook her head, cigarette smoldering between her lips. Smoke coated the inside of her lungs as she drew in a deep breath. And when she exhaled, the cold air whisked everything away.

After a while, Sakura drew away from the window. She leaned back in her seat.

"Where to, Boss?" asked Chouji, shifting the car into gear when he saw her move.

Sakura began raising the window. Paused. Because she recognized another car idling further down the street..

"Roppongi Hills. I'm tired tonight," she uttered. And then she raised the window all the way.

When Chouji dropped her off at her penthouse, she spared him a smile.

" _Zou tau_ , Boss," he greeted her.

"Good night," she replied before she stepped out of the back seat.

Sakura waited for the car to pull away before she headed into the lobby. The guard on duty bowed at her as she passed. The ride up in the elevator was quick. And when she swiped her key card, she half-expected him to already be sitting inside. But the inside of the penthouse was dark and cold.

The jacket she had left crumpled in the hallway was still there. There was a faint rumble as the heater came to life. The sensors in the foyer caught up a second later, pools of light flickering on one by one.

She kept herself occupied for as long as she could. She took a bath. Sat in the lavender-scented steam for a while. She had a glass of wine. Which turned to three. Burned through a cigarette on the balcony, letting the cold seep into her bones as she watched the city lights blink on and on.

She was nearly asleep by the time the door opened with a click. She listened very carefully. Her eyes drifted open when the door to the balcony slid. His gloved hands took her face.

"You're freezing," Itachi said. And his voice was almost lost to the wind. An ambulance siren wailed somewhere in the distance. Her gaze roved over his face.

She pulled out of his grasp.

She moved past him, over the threshold. The warmth of the indoors enveloped her like an embrace. She rubbed her free hand up and down her arm as she walked. She heard the balcony door slide shut.

"You met with the Russians," Itachi stated. There was no point in trying to deny it when he knew the truth already.

Her sweater hung from her elbows as she headed down the hall. She listened to him follow her. The sensors flicked on lights as she walked. Illuminating the path just ahead of her. When she stopped in the living room, she finally turned to look at him.

"You met Namikaze and Uzumaki," Itachi went on telling her what she already knew. She didn't feel the need to respond. Because she recognized that look in his eyes.

"Uzumaki has a... _reputation_ ," Itachi added when he saw her eyebrow rise.

Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair. Turning her back to him, she headed up the stairs. The second-to-last step creaked a little under her weight, just the way that it always did. Itachi's hand caught her wrist when she reached the top step. HIs hand was warm.

"I don't want to fuck a 20 year-old, Itachi," Sakura snapped.

"That's not what I was implying," Itachi answered. But her glare cut through that half-hearted lie.

"Yes it is," she scoffed. And she pulled out of his grasp. He grabbed her again. His hands squeezing just enough to keep her there. They stared at each other. And after a long moment, a smirk curled the corner of Sakura's mouth.

"You hurt my feelings, Itachi. So what're you going to do to make it up to me?" she challenged.

Very slowly, his grip relaxed. His hands turned gentle as they slid up her forearms, past her elbows. Sliding her sweater off her, revealing the reds and burning oranges of the artwork inked into her skin. HIs lips found hers- not quite in apology. She let the cold of her own body seep into his, leeching the heat from his skin, his bones, and the very marrow that lay within.


	5. Chapter 5

**title** Camellias  
 **summary** _If it's all numb, then that's fine._

* * *

Sakura's eyes opened before she wanted them to. Her neck ached from the way her cheek mashed against her shoulder. She woke in this position more than she cared to admit.

Her hand found Itachi's shirt hanging off the edge of the bed. She pinched it between two of her fingers, holding it up in front of her. Then she laid it back down on the bed. Under the whisk of the fabric moving, she could hear Itachi's breaths. Deep and even, like the ebb and flow of an ocean current.

She smoothed her palm over the sheets until she reached his shoulder. Her hand curled around his bicep. Then moved up to brush his cheek. There was a slight hitch in his breath. She pulled her hand away. One eye opened in the darkness.

"I'm going out for a smoke," she told him.

The eye rolled to find her. He said nothing as it closed again.

Sakura pulled a robe on over her chemise. The blue light from the window illuminated the corner of the bed. Where Itachi's hand lay. Motionless. As if she should have been drawing a chalk outline around it.

As she headed down the stairs, lights flickered on above her. She made her way down the hallway, past the kitchen with its high-end appliances where a meal would never cook.

The balcony off the living room was her favorite place in this apartment. The soundproofed walls had been advertised as a huge bonus. But Sakura hated them. Hated that they drowned out the noise of an already too-quiet city. At least, out here, she could hear the cars coasting down the freeway. There was the occasional rumble of a truck puttering past.

Sakura smacked the bottom of the carton against the heel of her hand. Plucking out a cigarette, she lit it. Rubbed her thumb along the etching on the side of her lighter. Inhaled. Exhaled.

Inhaled. Eyes drifting shut. Imagining how the smoke would spiral up to heaven.

Exhaled.

She sat in one of the chairs. The plastic felt cool against her skin. Listened to the wind rustling through the trees. She could taste winter retreating in the air. Soon, the sleeping flowers would burst into bloom. The air filled with pink petals almost like they were confetti for some party that refused to end. Covering the grey surfaces of the city.

Raking her hand through her hair, Sakura pulled her feet up. Tucked them under her thighs. When her cigarette grew too short, she stubbed it out in the ashtray. And then she rested her cheek on her knee.

She stirred when the balcony door clicked. Heard his sigh. Hand sliding under her legs. The other resting on her back. His chest was warm as he carried her inside.

"You seem upset with me," Itachi remarked as he walked. She felt the gentle sway as he climbed the stairs.

"I'm always a little upset with everyone," she muttered.

"That's true."

He set her down on the bed. She stretched her arms over her head as he fussed with the comforter. Her eyes opened when he didn't pull the blankets over her like she expected. He sat on the edge of the bed. Hair tangled. Eyes bloodshot. Stubble darkening his chin.

The back of his hand ran down her cheek. She almost smiled up at him.

* * *

When the sun shone through the window, Itachi sighed. Sakura lifted her head just enough to glimpse the clock hanging over the vanity. When her eyes flickered back to him, he almost looked like he was waiting for her to say something. And so she did.

"You know..." she began. Watching the way his head tilted a little.

"It's not really that I'm upset with _you_ ," she said, responding to his earlier comment. She waited for the flicker of comprehension in his eyes. The way his eyebrows rose a little. Mouth opening in a silent little 'ah'.

"I'm just... _upset_."

His palm found her cheek. Thumb tracing the sharpness of her cheek bone.

"Oh," he said.

Sakura searched his face. For the answer to a question she would never ask. She took a deep breath before she pushed his hand away.

"Go home, Itachi," she ordered.

She ran her fingers through her hair so she would have an excuse not to look at him. She tried to push him away again when she felt his hand touch her shoulder. But all he did was kiss her forehead before he climbed off the bed. She listened to the jingle of his belt buckle as he dressed. The swish of fabric as he pulled his hands through the sleeves of his shirt.

The jingle of his keys was all that signaled his departure as he headed down the stairs. Past the living room. Down the hall. Sakura sat unmoving until the front door opened. The security system let out a beep. Beeping again when the door closed.

Sakura lay staring at the dent Itachi had left in the bed. The pillow remembered the shape of his head. Even when the warmth from his body had faded.

She didn't have any plans this morning. Just couldn't stand the sound of a second set of breaths in the room. Could hardly stand the sound of her own. It took her a little while longer to get out of bed. And when she did, it was to pour herself a whiskey in the kitchen.

Glass in one hand, Sakura opened up the fridge. Unsurprised when she found nothing inside except for bottled water and a bottle of white wine. In the door were the glass containers of all the beauty products she used now.

She didn't know when she had started to use all these anti-aging products. They crowded her vanity and bathroom counter. Vitamin C, retinol, collagen. It seemed like the list of things she was using to fight the passage of time only grew longer. Especially when all she had needed in the past was to smile for someone to tell her that she was beautiful.

When Chouji picked her up an hour later, it was with breakfast, just like she had requested.

"Boss... it's not like you couldn't afford something better," he remarked as he handed over the onigiri from the convenience store. The plastic crinkled as she peeled it back.

"I know," she replied. She took a bite. Chewed slowly. The bits of rice sticking to the roof of her mouth and her teeth. Salty mentaiko spreading the taste of the sea.

* * *

Moegi started when she saw the lights on in the second floor window.

"Oh. I think... I think Mama is here..." she mused.

"Huh? No way," one of the other girls scoffed. But she tilted her head back to stare upwards too. It was hard to tell when Ginza was so filled with light already. But it seemed like there was a glow coming from inside.

Moegi hurried down the steps, to the entrance of the shop. It was already light inside. The staff always came in earlier to set up for the night. There was someone double-checking the playlist for the night. Another swept the floor right by the entrance. The new bartender held glasses up to the light, examining them for spots. Moegi greeted each of them with a smile. Many of them were new hires so she didn't know them very well yet.

About a year ago, many of the employees at the club had suddenly quit. And some of the regulars had stopped showing up too. But within a few days, there were brand new employees taking their places. And no one seemed to be able to explain why.

Moegi knew that Mama wasn't just an ex-hostess like she pretended. There was something in her eyes. The way she spoke to people and the way she was spoken to in return.

She stood at the foot of the stairs that led to the office. As long as she knocked, she was always welcome to stop by and chat. Mama had made that clear to all the girls working there. She had always been a good boss like that. If a girl complained that a customer was getting handsy, Mama always took her side. She made sure that they were paid more than enough. She had the staff escort them home if they didn't feel safe. The kindnesses that Mama had shown them piled up and up.

Still, Moegi hesitated. And ultimately decided not to knock that night. If Mama really was back in Tokyo for the first time in a year, she must be busy. There would be time to catch up later.

* * *

Sakura's eyes narrowed. She placed her hand over the receiver of her phone. She thought she had heard a noise. A few clicks on her laptop showed her the security camera at the foot of the stairs. Moegi stood there, staring up at the door for a while. And then she turned and headed away.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing," Sakura decided after removing her hand.

She leaned back in her chair. Arm dangling over the side. She let the chair spin a little until it was facing the windows. Neon lights blinked into the room in mismatched tempos. They cast strange, contorting shadows across the floor.

"Like I was saying, fuck you, Tobirama," she said.

He chuckled. "What? Why?" But his tone said that he knew exactly why.

"I take it that you weren't a big fan of the Russians," Tobirama guessed when she didn't answer.

Sakura stared at her reflection in the window as she grimaced. "Of course you had to tell them to fuck with me," she grumbled.

To her surprise, Tobirama continued to laugh. And it wasn't mocking. "Jing-Mei, _laang zing di sin aa_. Not everything is a personal vendetta against you," he sighed. She could imagine the sharpness of his eyes as he sat across from her. Cigarette resting between his second and middle fingers. Smirking at her through the veil of smoke.

She heard him snort. "The Russians are rude to everyone. Not just you. That's why I've never tried to introduce you before," he told her.

Her eyes narrowed. "You hate people more than I do. Why are _you_ okay with them?"

"I've only ever dealt with Namikaze. He's alright once you get to know him. I hear his son is a little prick though."

There was a loud buzz. There were muffled voices in the background. Like someone was whispering to Tobirama.

"Don't you want to know what I'm up to?" Sakura demanded.

The whispering stopped. And then there was a pause.

"You wouldn't tell me even if I asked," Tobirama replied. He hung up.

Sakura stared down at her phone for a while. She wasn't quite sure what she was feeling. It was a jumble in her stomach, like snakes writhing all tangled together in some deep pit.

She set her phone facedown on the desk. She stood. The carpet muffled her steps as she pulled her blazer off the back of her chair and draped it over her shoulders. It took a second to put on the right face because she realized that she felt a little angry.

Tobirama was wrong. She would have told him. And if they had been face-to-face, she would have watched his expressions shift. His irritation, those eye rolls. His wry retorts. And the occasional glare when she toed the boundary of what he would tolerate. She had always loved balancing there, reading his eyes to see how far she could push him before he really lost his temper.

Ultimately, though, his face would always arrive at the same expression. A faint smile. Like he had been expecting nothing less from her.

She wondered what face he had been making during that phone call.


	6. Chapter 6

**title** Glitter  
 **summary** _Life doesn't have a rewind._

* * *

The rain drizzled steadily over Hong Kong. Pattering off the rooftops. Down the sides of glittering skyscrapers. Pooling in the uneven spaces in the sidewalk.

Sakura closed her eyes. The tea warmed her palm, steam rising to kiss her chin with warmth for an instant before it turned cool.

"Tea. That's rare. Unless they've found a way to serve wine hot," commented Sai as he walked into the office. He rubbed the back of his neck, turning his head this way and that. Sighing, he dropped his jacket onto the back of a chair. Sakura lifted her chin, appraising him through the steam still rising from her teacup.

"Either have good news or get out. I'm not in the best mood," she warned him. The smile faded from Sai's face. He reached into his jacket to pull out an envelope. Sakura noticed the rosy stain on his palm as he handed the envelope over to her.

"He's sorry," Sai told her.

Sakura's eyebrow rose. She pulled the wad of cash out of the envelope. She began thumbing through the bills as she asked, "He said that?"

"No. But I made sure that he was," answered Sai.

Sakura paused in the middle of her count. She eyed him past the stack of money. And for just a moment, she was in a slightly better mood.

* * *

She hesitated just in front of the threshold. Sakura almost expected to hear a loud sigh. And the flick of a lighter. Before he said: "You're late." The soundtrack from some old Hong Kong film playing low on the radio in the background.

But she blinked. And the silence returned like a wave crashing on the shore. Suffocating her.

The room was spotless, in that a thorough scan of the place would reveal no DNA. Blood, fingerprints, even hair had been scoured from the place. Otherwise, though, it was dirty. Because it was covered in an even layer of dust. Almost as if someone had draped a veil over every surface of the room.

She could imagine Hashirama turning in his big leather chair. Eyes crinkling in the corners as he beamed at her.

 _Jing-Mei! Fuhn ying! What did you bring me today?_

His whole face had lit up most days he saw her. She knew. She had always known. He hadn't been lying when he had called her his favorite. Hashirama had been many things, but a liar hadn't been one of them. He had foolishly believed that others were just as honest. In the end, that was what had gotten him killed.

Sakura stared into the darkened room for a while longer. There were still so many things she had wanted to say. So many questions she had wanted to ask him. But his body lived on the bottom of the ocean now. Any questions she had would have to be spoken into the waves. And there was no telling where those would tumble to with the tides.

* * *

Tobirama stared at her for the longest time when she showed up in the prison at _Chek Chue_. His hair was still wet from his shower. His arms rested at his sides as he sank into the metal chair. His eyes narrowed as he inspected her through the transparent barrier.

Neither of them said anything. Neither of them tried to pick up the phone that would let them talk anyway.

She wore a lavender dress, a pattern of white and pink flowers fanning across her torso. The blushing color of the petals was the same shade as her hair. Nails, makeup, everything in matching pastels that she knew would soften her. To try to mask the sharpness she knew Tobirama could see in her face.

She forced her eyes to move to Tobirama. It took a moment for her gaze to focus. Like the lens of an old camera. Blurring in and out until her eyes could settle on him.

He had shaved. And he looked less angry than the last time she had seen him.

When he picked the phone off the receiver, she copied him. She hesitated to press it against her ear. But when she did, he didn't say anything. They locked gazes. Like they had done so many times before.

The corner of Tobirama's mouth twitched up.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm going to think that you're happy to see me," he said.

"Still delusional, I see," she answered, turning her face away from him.

She saw him put his elbow up on the counter. His tattoo of Guan Yu glowered at her from his left bicep. A black and red snake wound its way up his forearm. She remembered when it had gleamed on his white skin. The black deeper than black. The red like blood oozing from a fresh wound. Time had taken that vibrancy from it. Like it had taken everything else.

Tobirama stared right back at her.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

"You know who's holding on to _Sai Wan_ and Happy Valley right now?" asked Sakura.

"You said he was dead," he accused, eyes narrowing.

"I lied. Big shock," she retorted, copying his tone.

Tobirama scrutinized her again. He pointed at her. The action managed to look threatening even through shatterproof glass.

"Why? Tell me," he demanded.

"Because I don't trust you," she answered without hesitation. Tobirama's eyes narrowed. Then he leaned back, snorting.

"Good. You shouldn't. Especially after what you did," he warned her. As he leaned forward, Sakura had to resist the urge to copy him.

"I'm going to kill you, Jing-Mei. Don't forget that," he whispered. Her expression didn't change. His did, though. Like he saw something in her expression.

"Why are you asking me about _Sai Wan_?" Tobirama inquired.

She drank in the suspicion that honed his eyes into knife-points. The look that had set the city aflame, brought the most hardened gangsters to their knees. Unwavering. Sharp like an obsidian blade.

She touched her fingers to her lips as she matched his gaze.

"Now, Tobirama. You know better than that. This game is no fun if I just tell you all the answers," she answered. Leaning in close, she pressed her lips against the clear divider. When she pulled away, it left the outline of her kiss.

"I'm giving you a gift. Use it well," she then said as she got to her feet. Just his eyes followed her. His hand clenched into a fist. She hung up the phone, feeling the weight of his hatred sizzle into her.

On her way out of _Chek Chue_ , Sakura locked eyes with one of the guards. She said nothing, but he gave a single nod as she passed.

There was no driver waiting for her when she left the prison. She hadn't let anyone know where she was going. Except Sai. Who she knew was more likely to become a cop than a rat. Her car sat in the lot, the windshield dotted with droplets.

She thought she saw movement in the reflection on the glass. She paused, gripping the handle of her umbrella a little tighter. But after a moment, she saw nothing else. She got into the car, folding up the umbrella and shaking off as much of the water as she could.

"Boss, you know you've got-" Sai said into her earpiece.

"I know," she interrupted.

"Uh... want me to do something about it?"

"Don't bother. I kind of want to see what happens now,"

Sai let out a long breath. "Have I ever told you that you make me nervous, Boss?" he asked.

"Good," she retorted. With that, she reached into her right ear to pull out the tiny metal dot. It always impressed her how much technology they managed to fit into increasingly smaller parts. The earpiece was so small that it hadn't even set off the metal detectors in the prison.

She drove north following the highway as it cut through the island. She made a sharp left past a sushi restaurant. A taxi swerved to avoid her, horn blaring with indignation. She sped into the parking garage, making the attendant yelp. She could see the swear forming in his face before he recognized the car. When she tossed him the keys, he dove to avoid dropping them.

She strolled past without looking at him. Up the stairs that led into the lobby. The man sitting at the counter ignored her as she strode through, his gaze glued to the video on his phone. Her heels tapped against the polished flooring.

When the elevator arrived, she slipped her hand into the inside of her coat. It almost surprised her when the doors slid open to reveal her own reflection. And nothing else. Still, she got in, keeping her eyes on the doors as she hit the button for her floor. But again there was nothing when the doors opened.

She kept an easy pace as she moved down the hall, eyes darting back to check for any strange shadows. Any blurs of movement. It unnerved her even more when she couldn't see anything. She swiped her key card. The security system temporarily disarmed with three beeps to let her inside. And then beeped three more times once she closed the door behind her. Locks clicking into place and resetting.

Sakura took a step in the foyer, her heel making another hollow echo. And then she froze. Shoving her back to the wall, she whipped her Desert Eagle out from inside her coat. Trying to even out her breaths as she stared into the darkness. There was no smell, no sound- nothing that had jumped out to warn her. But it just _felt_ wrong. Like someone had shifted everything in her life just a few centimeters to the right.

"Неплохо."

Her arm jerked to the left, following the sound.

"Relax. I'm not here to fight," the voice said. The clumsy accent gave everything away. And the game wasn't fun anymore. Her upper lip curled.

" _Yau mou gau cho ah_?" she sighed.

She didn't bother with the lights. Her eyes would adjust to the darkness soon enough. Shedding her coat, she tossed it onto the counter. Pried her heels off.

"Didn't you hear me the first time I told you to fuck off?" she then said.

"I heard. But I also know your reputation, Dragon Head," Naruto replied.

She saw that the shades were drawn. And she could see him hiding in the darkest part of the apartment. The space where all the shadows seemed to overlap. Sakura snatched the remote from the kitchen counter and hit one of the arrows. The shades whirred as the motor pulled them upwards. The light from the city began pouring into the apartment. Because even at night, Hong Kong was never dark. Billboards and skyscrapers spewing into the sky, filling the atmosphere with fluorescence.

"Reputation?" Sakura repeated.

"That you're good at making money. And I happen to be really good at making money for other people," Naruto told her.

The city's strange lights made him pale blue as he stepped in front of the window. He wore diamonds in his ears. Diamonds glittered in his watch too.

"There are plenty of people in this city who'll make money with you. Your explanation is shit," she scoffed, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. And he took a few more steps toward her.

"My old man wants business. But me? I don't see why they have to separate things," declared Naruto.

Perhaps in her youth, she would have been attracted to someone like him. Young and cocky. Broken Fang had been like this, too. At the time, that arrogance had been so reassuring. Manly, in her eyes.

"Hm... a _pleasurable_ business relationship," she hummed. He loosened his tie as he stepped closer to her. But when he came close enough, she stopped him with a push to the chest.

"Listen, I'm rich and I'm still hot. I have no shortage of men who'd be happy to fuck me senseless. I'm really not desperate enough to want that little thing anywhere near me," Sakura then declared, pointing at his crotch.

She loved watching the shock flicker across his face. Men never expected her to speak that way. As if wearing designer dresses and makeup suddenly erased the fact that she had grown up on the streets just as much as they had.

Men were predictable that way.

So predictable that she knew what would happen next. Because that rejection turned to shame. And shame turned to anger. Always.

His cocky smirk warped into a glower.

She clicked her tongue at him. "Look, I'm tired. I really don't have the patience for this today, little boy. Just go home before I get pissed off and shoot you," she sighed, gesturing toward the door with her Desert Eagle.

When Naruto glared at her, she stared back just as hard. "Out," she ordered. She cocked her gun. As added incentive.

Her eyes followed him as he slunk to the door. Like a dog with its tail between its legs. When he opened it, the barrel of Sai's gun met his forehead. Naruto's throat bobbed, but he didn't cry out. Which was mildly impressive in itself.

"Oh Sai, it's like Christmas every day with you," remarked Sakura.

"I've never heard anyone scream for mercy in Russian before. I've always wondered what that sounds like," Sai told her. He pressed his gun hard against Naruto's head, smiling.

"Well, Sai. You'll have to keep wondering. This little boy needs to run home to daddy," answered Sakura.

"You're too nice, Auntie," Sai lamented. He slowly lowered his firearm. And then gestured for Naruto to pass. The young man managed to walk for several steps. But then broke into a run partway down the hall. Sai leaned out the doorway. And when Naruto stole a glance back, Sai waved at him.

"Do I follow him and blow out his tires? Shoot him through the windshield?" he inquired. Straightening, he pivoted to face Sakura. She examined her nails as she thought. They had grown out a little. It would be time for another manicure soon.

"No. We have to be more gentle in our approach, _sai lo_ ," she corrected him. And when she glanced at him, she watched very carefully. How he digested the hint. His eyebrows rising as he understood what she meant.

"Hm...how about we... send someone to Chungking Mansions? If he hasn't moved on already, a man named Ivankov should be there. Why don't we take him out?" Sakura said, like she hadn't planned everything out already.

Sai's forehead wrinkled. "That's in Kowloon, Boss. Things would get ugly with the Suns if they caught us in their territory," he pointed out.

"Then don't get caught," she replied.


	7. Chapter 7

**title** Halogen  
 **summary** _Hot to the touch_

* * *

Sakura pulled her jacket over her shoulders. Letting the empty sleeves dangle. Not that they served any purpose. The linen sleeves were almost transparent. They didn't really protect her from the wind. Or the gentle rain that had begun to sprinkle the street.

Zabuza unfolded an umbrella and held it over her. She glanced over at him, watching the water dribble down his shoulder and arm. Her eyes lingered on the shiny black buttons on his sleeve. One of them was coming loose, the thread unraveling.

"Don't walk around like that. It's embarrassing," she commented, eyes flickering back ahead.

" _M'hou yi si_ , Boss," Zabuza replied.

Zabuza's head twisted around when they heard the door creak open behind them.

"The car?" she asked, her voice light.

" _Deui m'jyu_ , Aunt Cheng. I called bu-"

She fired off a round right by his shoe. Smoke sizzled from the spot just beside his foot. She tucked her gun back into her jacket.

"The car?" she asked again.

"O-on its way," the man replied. She listened to his steps retreat back inside.

The rain began to fall a little harder. But it didn't mask the sound of Zabuza's sigh. "Heading back to Tokyo? I thought you'd be in a better mood," he commented.

Her eyes darted to him. Zabuza's jaw tightened. "Sorry," he apologized again.

* * *

Sakura saw when Itachi stepped into the lobby of the Archipelago. He had probably known the moment she had touched down at Narita. She hadn't asked him to come see her. Part of her wondered when she had become so predictable to him. The thought left a bad taste in her mouth.

She leaned against the glass barrier one floor up. Glass of pinot noir dangling over the edge. As she swirled the wine, she watched him cross the gleaming floors. He stopped at the front desk to ask for her. The concierge replied, gesturing toward the stairs.

Their eyes met as Itachi followed the concierge's glove-encased hand. She didn't smile down at him. She turned away. The black floor reflected the white and gold brocade design of her dress as she headed up another flight of stairs.

Sakura paused at the top of the steps to take a sip of wine. Waiting until she saw the top of his head. And then she kept going. She strode down the hall, running her fingers through her hair.

When she glanced over her shoulder, Itachi was following her at a leisurely pace. He seemed to have caught on to her game. And whenever it seemed like he would close the gap, he pretended to examine artwork in the hallway or check his phone. Then, hand slipping into his pocket, he would continue his easy stroll.

She finished her wine. Wrapping her fingers around the stem, she continued on and on. Until she reached the polished gold doors that led to the elevator. They opened a few seconds after she pressed the arrow. She stepped inside.

Sakura turned around to watch him, arms resting on the gold handrails. The elevator doors began to slide shut. She could already imagine the look of irritation on his face as he realized that she wasn't waiting. A smug smile pulled at her mouth as he turned the corner. She turned away, just for a moment, to press the number for the floor. But as the doors began drawing together, Itachi's hand slipped between them. They shuddered, jerking to a halt before they parted again.

Itachi stepped inside, brushing imaginary dust off his suit. The elevator doors groaned shut behind him. He turned around standing right beside her, one hand in his pocket as he watched the numbers climb.

They didn't speak as the elevator reached the top floor. Sakura stepped out first. She could feel him right behind her as she swiped her key card at the door. It let out a series of beeps before it swung open.

"Should I buy this suite for you? You seem fond of it," Itachi remarked as he stepped inside.

It was the very same room that she had booked a year ago. Where she had laid low as the Japanese underworld reeled at the news of Uchiha Madara's death.

As they passed through the dining room, he saw the open bottle of red wine. He lifted it to his nose. He reached his hand back. Sakura placed her empty glass between his fingers. Itachi refilled it before he poured himself a glass too. They clinked the drinks together before they each took a sip. Lowering the wine, Sakura made a face.

"Don't waste your money like that, _Kumicho_ ," she retorted. She pushed past him, heading into the bedroom.

"Then how should I waste my money? Should I buy you an plane? An island? A diamond mine?" he went on, trailing after her.

Her upper lip curled as she stepped in front of the vanity just outside the bathroom. She set the glass down on the counter.

"Don't make fun of me, _ga tsan_ ," she warned. She pulled the diamonds from her left ear.

And then she flinched a little as Itachi appeared behind her. His palms slapping down on either side of her. She couldn't see his face in the mirror, but she could feel his breath trailing down her spine. The tip of his nail tickled the back of her neck.

"Why would I risk my life by doing something so stupid?" he murmured. His cheek pressed to her shoulder blade. Hands sliding around her waist.

Ignoring his wandering hands, she pulled out her other earring. They clinked together as she placed them on the counter.

"You're awfully clingy tonight," she remarked.

His eyes met hers in the mirror as his teeth dug into her shoulder, just enough to sting. Before she could complain, he replaced them with a kiss. The corner of her mouth curled up as she looked away.

She turned around to face him. He slid his fingers into her hair. Nails scratching across her scalp. Tips of his fingers kneading the tension away. Her head lolled to one side. Sighing, she closed her eyes. Just for a moment.

Because her eyes opened again, narrowing as they searched his face. "You want something," she realized.

Itachi's lips curled up.

"Oh, _Ane-san_ , I can't get anything past you," he remarked. He took her wrist, guiding her hand to rest on the knot of his tie.

For a moment, her hand tightened around the silk, yanking it a little tighter. Itachi watched her, unalarmed. And then she relaxed her grip. She plucked at the folds in the knot, guiding the tie through the tangle of loops. When it came undone, she whisked it free from his collar. Tossing it onto the counter. And then she began unbuttoning his shirt.

Itachi's hand curled around her hip as she worked. And she could feel his gaze roaming over her face. She felt the fabric shift under her hands in the middle of undoing the third button. Itachi's hand touched her cheek, thumb tracing the top of her cheekbone. He didn't say anything as she finished freeing the rest of his buttons. All he did was bring her hand to face to kiss the knuckle of her pointer finger.

"I'll shower first," Itachi announced before he slipped away. As the bathroom door shut, the draft of air swept against her shoulder. Sakura downed the rest of her wine before she started erasing her makeup.

* * *

It was almost dawn when Sakura opened her eyes. She had dozed for a little while. Not really, though. Sleep had been a stranger lately. She was thankful that good makeup and eye drops helped hide that from the rest of the world. And although she knew exactly _why_ she hadn't been sleeping well during her time in Hong Kong, she pretended that she didn't. She would rather die than admit it.

"You know… I'm not in a bad mood. I'm bored," she said out loud.  
Itachi rolled onto his side to look at her. Apparently he hadn't been sleeping either. That surprised her a little. She wouldn't have minded talking to the ceiling for a while.

"Of?" he asked.

He sounded even more tired than he looked. She pitied him a little as she noticed that.

"Everything. All of it," Sakura sighed, tucking her right hand under her cheek.

And then she sighed again. "I shouldn't have killed your uncle so quickly. Or Hashirama, for that matter. Now I have nothing left to do."

"There are plenty of people around. I could probably list five right now that you'd be happy to kill," he pointed out.

"...You _know_ that's not the same."

He stared at her for a moment. And then he rose from his side of the bed. She followed him with her eyes as he walked out of the room. He returned a few moments later with a bottle of whiskey from the dining room. Two glasses clinked together in his other hand.

Sakura sat up. She watched Itachi pour a couple of fingers of the amber alcohol into each glass. And then he approached to hand one to her.

"Well… maybe you should find a new hobby. Or some kind of game to play. Checkers, for instance," he finally suggested.

She stared at him. But his expression didn't change as he added, "I always hoped that I would be entertaining enough for you, to be honest."

"Why? Are you entertainment, _Kumicho_?" she inquired.

He held his glass out to her. She gave him a long look before she clinked her drink against his. They each took a sip.

As he lowered his glass, Itachi smiled. "Isn't everyone to you?"

Had it come from anyone else, that comment might have riled her. And maybe something in her eyes told him so because he touched her chin to draw her closer. His kiss was whiskey-sweet. So she forgave him.

* * *

A file folder slapped down on the desk. One of them gestured to the chair.

"You understand that normally this kind of thing is unheard of, right?" one of the men asked.

She sat, hands on her knees. She nodded.

"We wouldn't _ever_ send someone like you over there. But there's been pressure from the higher-ups and... well..." the other man sighed. He leaned forward to open up the folder. He shuffled through some of the files.

"Getting files from the HKPD is also unheard of. So much of this shit is redacted," he grumbled. And then he found the one sheet he was looking for.

"The fourth dragon head of the 24K. People call him 'Uncle Hashirama'," he read out loud. Attached was a photo of an older man with long brown hair. Her hands tightened into fists.

"It's been almost a year since he's disappeared from the public eye. He was always a bit reclusive, so it took the HKPD a while to notice. But it's common knowledge in the underworld that he's dead. They just don't have the evidence to prove anything," he went on.

And then he found a second sheet. He slapped this one on the desk in front of her. It was a photo of a woman exiting a shiny black car. Fluffy white furs wrapped around herself.

"This is the woman that's replaced him."

Her upper lip curled as she stared down at the photo.

"Where's her rap sheet?" the other man whispered, shuffling through the files.

"She doesn't have one," his partner replied. "Racketeering, extortion, arms trading- nothing. She's got a clean record. And the kicker is that everyone knows that she's the one that killed Hashirama. There's just no proof."

"There's been noise from the HKPD and the Tokyo Metropolitan to get something on her. They're real suspicious of new faces, so you can understand why we had to bring you in."

Both men studied the woman. Waiting for her reaction. It wasn't every day that they brought in an outsider for something like this. But in the last few months, each of their criminal informants had turned up dead or gone missing entirely. Some resurfaced floating in Victoria Harbor several weeks later. Body parts gouged out and organs sold on the black market.

Her hands shook, but her voice was steady as she looked them in the eye. "I might be young, but I graduated from the academy same as you. I'm ready to do whatever it takes."

One of them sighed. "Wait until you've heard more about her. She's not someone you can take lightly."

She glanced down at the photo again. At the glamorous woman with her wine-colored lipstick and her long eyelashes.

"Also, don't think we don't know that you have a personal stake in this. Your vendetta can't get in the way of this operation. We'll pull you the second that you let your personal shit interfere," he then warned.

Tsunade smiled. "It's very personal. But I'll do my job. I swore an oath to uphold the law," she assured them.

And then she added, "It just so happens that the law's letting me give a bitch what she deserves."


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone stop by sariasprincy's account and read Hollow Point, please. Chapter 25 really inspired me to pick up this AU again.

* * *

 **title** Ammo  
 **summary** _Dripping with gold and lead_

* * *

Sai always grumbled that Sakura never took guards anywhere. Or if she did, that she never took enough.

" _Siu sam._ You're starting to have more enemies than friends," he had warned her about a year ago. His cigar fizzling pitifully against the wind and rain as they sat on the balcony of one of Hashirama's apartments. The inside of the place was covered in oriental rugs and expensive vases. Sakura always complained about how tacky the decor was, but never hired someone to redecorate.

Sakura put her feet up on the arm of his chair. He glanced over at the angry red marks on her feet where her shoes had pinched and chafed her throughout the night. The ointment and bandages he had brought over sat untouched on the table beside her.

" _Starting_?" Sakura scoffed. She leaned her head back, letting her eyes drift shut.

"Sai," she exhaled a plume of poison. Brought her cigarette up to her mouth. Paused with the paper brushing her lips. "One day, someone who hates me is going to kill me. I just hope it's not while I'm on the toilet."

"Ugh, you're gross, _ga je_ ," he cringed. And she loved the way he said that. Like she really _was_ his big sister. And he was her little brother. Like they'd grown up squabbling over the remote and passing plates at the dinner table.

Eyes sliding open, a laugh slipping past her teeth, Sakura lifted her head. And the laugh dying out, just like her cigarette as she let it fall to the concrete.

" _Ngo hou gui,"_ she sighed half under her breath.

Sai rubbed his eyes with his knuckles. "Yeah, me too, boss. I'm so fucking tired."

* * *

Sakura wondered why she remembered that conversation with Sai. Such an uneventful night. Worthless, in the grand scheme of things.

And it was even more confusing that it was what she remembered as she heard a terrific smash from the other room. The high-pitched sound of glass breaking, followed by footsteps crunching over the broken shards.

" _Diu_ ," she muttered as she reached into the space between the mattress and the headboard. Her fingers closed around something cold and metal. But as she traced her fingers along it, she realized that it wasn't her Desert Eagle. The shape was too angular. Probably Itachi's weapon. Her hand slid to the right, still searching.

There were voices now, gruff. The sounds muffled by the wall and the trickling sounds of water from the bathroom. She tried to count people based on the footsteps. But that was hard. Her pointer finger found the Desert Eagle. She closed her hand around it, fishing it up. Smashing her knuckles against the headboard in her rush.

The bedroom door buckled as something smashed into it from the other side.

Sakura grasped the sheets. Trying to figure out how she would wrap them around her body without tripping over them. She wondered if she would have time to find cover. The dresser, maybe?

The door gave in after another blow. The dark wood exploding into splinters that sprayed inward.

"Don't move," a man growled in English. The Russian accent clear just from those two words. He aimed a Kalashnikov at her. She could see at least two more people behind him also wielding guns.

Sakura knew how this usually went. Almost like a movie she had seen too many times before. The boss would demand to know who they were. Threaten them. Maybe the intruders would laugh at her discomfort. Give cryptic non-answers.

But this wasn't a movie.

She pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced through his head at an angle, hitting just under his chin and piercing upwards. The blood that sprayed from the first the wound, she noticed, was almost the same color as old wine.

"You-"

Sakura didn't even have time to see which one of them began speaking. Because Sai appeared behind them. The silencers of his guns pressing to the backs of their heads. It didn't actually silence the shots like the name promised. But it was more of a muted sound. The smell of metal and smoke burned into the air as the bodies slumped to the ground.

"Shit. I really liked this suit, Boss." Sai clicked his tongue as he looked down at his clothing sprayed with blood and what other matter had sprayed out of the wounds.

It was only then that Sakura realized that the shower was off.

She and Sai both looked up as they heard footsteps. Easy and soft. Slightly wet against the tile. Itachi appeared in the doorway beside Sai, a towel around his waist. Water trickling down his neck, chest, and arms. Gripping the edges of his towel together at his hip. He cast a glance at the bodies on the floor before it flickered back up to Sakura.

"You know," he sighed. It was an exasperated noise. "One day, I hope you'll ask me for help."

Reaching behind the mattress, Sakura pulled up his gun. "How?"

Itachi lifted his hand off his hip to reveal another gun. Smaller. But probably still very deadly.

Sakura held Itachi's gaze for a long moment. Then her eyes slid back to Sai.

"Clean this up. I want answers," she ordered.

"Yeah, Boss," Sai replied, already pulling his phone out with his gloved hand. He headed out of the bedroom as he began speaking.

Itachi moved around the pooling blood. He sat on the edge of the bed to take her hand. She watched him as he brought it up to his face. Instead of kissing it, he held it against his nose. Taking a deep breath of the fragrance of gunpowder that lingered on her fingers.

"Shall we go?" he suggested.

"Where?"

"Does it matter?" he asked in return.

Sakura stared at him for a long moment. And then her hand moved out of his grasp. Very slowly, eyes locking with his, she let her fingers curl around his throat. Just resting there. Water dripped from his hair, onto her hand, trickling down her forearm.

Itachi's expression didn't shift.

"We should get dressed," was all he said.

Her fingers flexed. And then she dropped her arm.

"I need to shower," Sakura declared.

* * *

It was odd that whenever she was in Tokyo, she missed Hong Kong. And whenever she was in Hong Kong, she missed Tokyo. A persistent, nagging homesickness that trailed after her like it was part of her shadow.

Sakura stared down at the massive crosswalk below. At the hoards of people scampering across like ants, even at night. So far away that their faces were just blurs. The advertisements blared out fluorescent lights from every direction.

Tokyo hadn't changed much in the last few years. Of course, there were always new buildings going up. The names of stores changed as the weak went out of business and new ones sprang up in their place. But the feel of this part of the city, the ebb and flow of its people was unchanged.

Sakura tore her gaze from the window when she heard a clink. Itachi set a glass in front of her before he settled in the seat across the table. His tumbler held two fingers of whiskey. Shimmering golden-brown in the low light.

Had whiskey always been so pretty?

They clinked glasses together before they each took a sip.

"A speakeasy, huh?" she sighed, eyes finding the view outside again.

"Not to your taste?"

She didn't know whether he was talking about the location or the wine. So she didn't bother answering. They drank in silence. As soon as Sakura finished her wine, she got to her feet. She caught Itachi gulping down the rest of his whiskey to catch up with her. He grabbed her jacket off the chair as he moved.

Her heels made sharp taps against the worn tiles of the bar. And the sounds echoed off the high ceilings when she entered the stairwell. It took a few seconds for Itachi's steps to join the cacophony. Their footfalls overlapped, noises bouncing back without any kind of rhythm or harmony. She thought she heard him click his tongue.

Itachi caught up to her halfway down the stairs. He grasped her forearm. She didn't look at him, but she didn't wrench out of his grip either.

She was glad that he didn't ask something stupid like, "Are you okay?" or "What's wrong?". Because both were questions that she didn't have answers to.

"I wish you would stop walking like you're alone. I'm right here," he finally said.

" _Are_ you?" she challenged, still not looking at him. A little startled by the frostiness in her own voice.

"I am," he replied. And then he called, "Sakura."

Her eyes flickered up to him. He smiled. His thumb stroking over the inside of her wrist. "I'm right here."

Sakura looked away again. Swallowing hard.

His thumb stroked over her wrist a few more times before he spoke again.

"Let's go blow off some steam," he suggested.

He tossed her coat over his right shoulder. His left hand slid down from her wrist to grasp her hand instead. Fingers lacing together with hers.

And as he led her down the rest of the stairs, Sakura almost laughed. There was something so juvenile about the way he had spoken. The way he held her hand like she had always seen children doing in movies.

For a moment, she let herself wonder what it would have been like to have had a real childhood. To go to school each day, worrying about exams. Giggling about boys with her arms linking through a friend's. Heart pounding through first dates, first kisses. Everything tinted blush-pink.

" _Kumicho_ ," she called.

He looked back at her.

Was it that he knew better than or ask? Or was it that he didn't care enough to?

Shaking her head, Sakura felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips.

"Nothing," she said.

* * *

Minato kept his eyes fixed on the monitor. He rewound the clip thirty seconds. Just to watch her lift her arm and unload a bullet into the stranger. No tremor in her hands. No time wasted asking who he was or why he was there. Just a clean-

"Bang," Minato said as she pulled the trigger.

He rewound it again. This time, taking in the easy line of her arm and shoulder as she raised her weapon. He hit pause. Drinking in the tattoos inked into her back and arm: A koi, a tiger, and a phoenix.

He chuckled, thumb touching his chin. And then his eyes drifted past the screen. To the guest sitting on the brown sofa in the middle of his office.

"So tell me what you know about her, my friend," Minato then inquired. He knew that his Japanese wasn't perfect, but there was no need for a translator. Boss Inuzuka uncrossed his legs as he took in the question.

Kiba grimaced as he leaned forward in his seat. His eyes moved back and forth as he thought. He debated with himself, shaking his head a little. And then, sighing, he began peeling off his leather gloves. Minato pressed his pointer finger to his temple to hold his head up as it tilted to one side. His gaze flickered to the guards flanking the door. The one on the right gave a slight nod.

When Minato turned his attention back to Kiba, he saw that he was holding his hands up in front of him. Palms facing away from Minato. There were identical scars on his hands. Circular but jagged around the edges. The newer skin shiny and pink against the rest of his tan flesh.

Minato had been around firearms for too long not to recognize a gunshot wound. It had been treated- the scars from sutures framing the edges of what had been direct hits. And he caught the way Kiba's hands shook a little. Not out of fear. Nerve damage.

"She's a bitch," Kiba declared.

But then he thought. And then he added, "But she can be useful."

Minato frowned. "Can she be tamed?"

"No," Kiba immediately told him. His eyes hard as they flickered back to his mangled hands. Because even after months of physical therapy, they would never work the way they had used to. She had made sure that he would never be able to fire a gun again.

"Excellent," Minato replied.

Kiba's chin jerked up. His gut twisted as he watched a grin spread across Minato's mouth. Perfect teeth sparkling too-white in the dim room.


	9. Chapter 9

**title** Shards  
 **summary** _Tiptoe softly_

* * *

Sakura's feet dangled off the edge of the bed. Even with her eyes closed, she knew exactly where Itachi was and what he was doing. She could smell his aftershave drifting out from the bathroom. The light switch clicked. The fan went silent.

His fingers skimmed over her back, raising goosebumps along her skin. "You'll catch a cold," he warned.

"I won't if you stay to keep me warm," she replied, her eyes opening. And she could see him thinking with his back turned to her. She never asked him to stay. Which is why she knew that when she did, he noticed.

When Itachi turned to face her, his eyes were so soft. Like warmed whiskey. He sat beside her, his fingers trailing up from her jaw to her cheekbone. Before they pulled through her hair, gently undoing the tangle he found halfway through.

"Any other night, I would. But not tonight, Jing-Mei. This meeting's important," he answered. He ran his fingers through her hair again. And from that, she knew who his important meeting was with. Or at least who it was about.

"The Sarutobi-gumi?" Sakura guessed.

"You've been keeping up, right?"

"More or less. The old man?"

"He's dying. For real this time," Itachi confirmed, running a hand through his hair.

"Finally," Sakura sighed. Her head flopped back down onto the rumpled sheets. "I'm tired of him." When Itachi gave her a searching look, she added, "But it wasn't me."

Itachi huffed. "I wouldn't have minded if you were."

He got off the bed to open up her wardrobe. The plastic hangers clinked together as he rummaged through to find a robe. He pulled one out, silky and blue. He liked the color blue on her, she had noticed.

"His son's in favor to succeed, right? Asuma?" Sakura asked as Itachi draped the robe over her shoulders. She pulled one arm through it, then the other.

She distinctly remembered the _wakagashira_ of the Sarutobi-gumi. A man with a goatee and a fondness for foreign women. He wasn't wholly unpleasant to deal with. He was a little too smart for her to deal with him comfortably, though.

"Yes. But Hiruzen's first son had a kid before he was killed. The kid's eighteen now," Itachi told her.

That didn't surprise her. "Still a kid, though," she pointed out.

"Not for long. And the kid has a reputation already."

Sakura didn't respond as she tied the front of her robe shut. Her eyes followed Itachi as he pulled his shirt on and buttoned it from the top down.

"So what's my your role in all of this?" asked Sakura. She saw herself in the mirror. And he looked her reflection in the eyes as he fixed the collar of his shirt.

"The younger groups don't understand. The yakuza aren't outside of society. If anything, we're the backbone. Things have to run smoothly in our world for civilians to live peacefully," Itachi explained. Sakura didn't disagree. It was the same in Hong Kong.

"Some groups will use this as a time to steal territory or to try to destroy the Sarutobi's altogether. I prefer the enemy I know," he then said.

"Which one do you want in charge? Of the Sarutobi-gumi, I mean."

Itachi's eyes stayed on hers as he began tying his tie. It was black with a silver check pattern. "The kid," he decided without hesitation.

"Huh," Sakura said. She smoothed her hand over the hem of the robe. So that it laid flat over her thigh.

"What does 'huh' mean?" Itachi grabbed his cufflinks off the vanity.

"Nothing. It just means 'huh'," answered Sakura.

"Anyway, that means I'll have my hands full for the time being," Itachi declared. He folded the sleeve once. He pushed his cufflink through the slits, rotating the silver clasp into place. When he switched arms, he fumbled with the right side. "I'm meeting with my people to plan tonight. And then we'll be meeting with other groups over the next few weeks to try to negotiate some..." Itachi trailed off as he tried to find the right words.

"Temporary treaties?" Sakura offered, motioning for him.

"Yes." Itachi held out his arm to her so that she could slip the second cufflink into place. And she paused as she recognized them. Gleaming rectangles with a small diamond embedded into the center. She straightened his cuffs. Reached up to straighten his tie, too.

"Are you saying you won't have time for me, _leng zai_? That's hurtful," Sakura then told him.

"You're flying out to Hong Kong tonight. Don't act like you'll be a lonely housewife," he answered with that easy smile just for her.

"Then maybe I'll stay. We should just kill everyone so that they won't interrupt us," she suggested. Already laughing at the thought.

But she watched Itachi's eyes sharpen. He glanced out the window as he murmured, "Should we?" His hand rested on top of hers. And when his gaze flickered back to her, she felt a jolt of excitement at what she saw. Something sparkled in his eyes- a little too feral to be him. But undeniably him at the same time.

"I have to go." Itachi said it more like he was reminding himself than her. His exhale turned shaky as her finger grasped the front of his belt. Tugging playfully. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed her hands. He kissed her- hard at first. Slowly, his lips becoming gentle. Lingering softly over her mouth, her cheek.

"When you get back. We'll have plenty of time," he said. And there was finality to his voice that she couldn't argue against.

"I'm not a very patient person, _Kumicho_."

Cupping her cheek in his hand, Itachi kissed her again. "I know," he sighed.

* * *

"Boss is coming back tonight," Sai remarked. He watched Tenten toss a knife into the air. The blade spun before she caught it. And somehow, she caught it by the handle every time. He had watched her do this for years now. And not once had he seen her grab it by the pointed end.

"Yeah," she replied.

Sai's eyes narrowed. "Something happen?" he questioned.

Tenten raised an eyebrow. "Nah."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

Sai pursed his lips. But he watched the set of Tenten's face and decided against pushing it that night. "Okay." He got out of his seat, brushing out the wrinkles in his jacket before he draped it over his arm.

"Before I forget- you know that bar of yours? Right by Sheung Wan Station?" he asked.

Tenten caught the knife. It stayed in her hand this time as she looked at him. "Yeah?"

"Been hearing rumors about the place. Not the good kind. Tell your guys to be more careful," he warned. He slipped out of the room. Letting the door swing shut behind him with a heavy clang. His footsteps echoing down the concrete stairs.

Tenten's eyes fell on the group of muscular men sitting in the corner. They had set up a folding table with cards. Their guns sat in the middle, along with their phones.

Clicking her tongue, Tenten flicked the knife in their direction. It landed just beside the pile of cards in the middle. All three men jerked upright, heads swiveling in her direction.

"Shouldn't you be out checking the night market instead of fooling around?" Tenten demanded.

"Sorry, Boss. Right away," they muttered as they shoved the cards in a pile and scrambled to grab their things.

"And you heard what Sai said about Blink. Go and talk to Fung about keeping shit quiet. If he gives you trouble..." Tenten didn't have to finish her statement.

" _Mou man tai_. We got it, Boss _,_ " one of the other men said. They hurried out of the room too. Their heavy boots clomping down the steps.

Once it was quiet, Tenten leaned back in her seat. Her feet up on the table. This was the back room at an indoor market they had acquired about a year ago. Cops didn't really think to look for suspicious activity in a place like this. As long as the stalls paid rent on time, it was an easy source of income.

Tenten heaved a sigh when she felt her phone vibrate. It wasn't a number she had saved. She recognized it anyway. She lifted the phone to her ear.

" _Wei_?"

"Bad news for you."

"Fucking great," Tenten grumbled. Rubbing her palm over her eye, she took a deep breath. "Okay, what?"

"I hear the Dragon Head's been poking the Russians with a stick."

"So?"

"So- that's making the HKPD nervous. They're planning on sending in someone to snoop around."

Tenten outright laughed at that. "Great. We'll send his head to you. You prefer it in a cooler or a block of ice?"

"I'm serious. And it's not going to be someone you can get rid of so easily."

That caught her interest. Tapping her fingers against the table, she raised her eyebrows.

"Who is it?" she finally asked.

"Hashirama's daughter. Tsunade."

A chuckle left Tenten. But it was filled with disbelief more than amusement. She shook her head.

"Fuck."

"Yeah."

* * *

It was still winter in Tokyo. But apparently Hong Kong had decided that it was spring already. A wall of humidity greeted her when she stepped off the plane. Zabuza, of course, was there to pick her up. The car sparkled. He had probably taken it to the wash right before arriving.

While Zabuza opened the door, Tenten loaded Sakura's bags into the trunk.

Sakura shed her jacket as she settled into the backseat. Zabuza closed her door. He slid into the driver's seat, adjusting the rearview mirror so that he could see her.

"Where to, Boss?" he asked.

As soon as Tenten got in, he pulled away from the curb.

"The studio by Hong Kong Park. I'm tired," Sakura ordered, kicking her boots off.

"Of course," Zabuza replied. His eyes returned to the road as he pulled onto the highway.

"Things been okay here?" Sakura then addressed Tenten.

"Pretty quiet, for the most part. Some of the Red Arrow boys butted heads with the Suns over some nonsense. Suigetsu took care of it," Tenten recalled. She took a moment to think and added, "Councillor Mok was caught with hookers and had to resign in disgrace last week."

"I saw that on the news," replied Sakura. She shook her head. "We'll have to bribe someone else to pull for us on the Legislative Council."

"Anything else?" Sakura asked.

Tenten considered the question. She looked at her phone in her hand. Recalling the enlightening conversation from earlier that day. Expression unchanging, she shoved her phone back into her pocket. " _Mou je_ , Boss. Nothing else."

* * *

Over the next few days, Sakura was busy meeting with people to resolve the issues that her underlings couldn't handle on her own. Thankfully, there hadn't been much trouble in her three week absence.

Sitting in her office overlooking Victoria Harbor, Sakura couldn't help but notice that Itachi hadn't called her even once since she had landed in Hong Kong. It bothered her that she even noticed something like that at all. Just as that thought occurred to her, a phone rang. Not her cell. The one that sat on her big, wooden desk. It was the receptionist downstairs.

"Who's asking for me?" Sakura demanded. She laughed when she heard the name he had given.

"Send him up," Sakura ordered before hanging up the phone.

It didn't take long for the elevator to arrive on the top floor. There was a soft knock.

"Come in," Sakura called.

She pretended to be busy as the door swung open. She picked up one of the documents from the pile, taking a long time to read the fine print that she never normally read.

"I don't believe we scheduled an appointment," said Sakura. She took her time dating and signing the form as she heard the door swing shut. The lock clicking into place.

"I apologize." It was a man's voice. Cantonese. But with an interesting accent. "I just felt awful about the way our first meeting went. I felt the need to come apologize in person."

Lowering her pen, Sakura finally lifted her chin to look right at him.

Minato stood in front of her desk, one hand in his pants pocket. His wheat-colored hair slicked back. A gold chain glittering around his neck as he smiled at her.

"You only feel bad about that? Not about the assassins you sent to my hotel room?" she queried, keeping her voice light.

"Well, that was only fair. You did kill one of my dealers," Minato reminded her. His eyes crinkling at the corners as he chuckled.

''I'm honestly a little insulted that it was only three. Is that all I'm worth in the eyes of a foreigner?" she wondered.

"On the contrary. I sent three and not one _because_ of that reputation. I hear that you're the one that killed Uchiha Madara," Minato said.

"I'm flattered that you did your research."

She examined his expression. There were all sorts of rumors swirling around about Namikaze. Out of all the Russian arms dealers working in Hong Kong, he was the wealthiest. He dealt to everyone, irregardless of alliances or grudges. She had, of course, heard of his exploits. Intercepting shipments meant for international armies was a specialty of his.

"But I'm sure you're not here just to chat. What can I do for you?" she asked.

Her eyes followed him as he approached her desk. He sat on the edge of it instead of in one of the chairs facing it. Hands still in his pockets, he let his stare rake over her. She had a good idea of what he would say before he opened his mouth. His eyes said it all.

"I just wanted to apologize for my son's behavior during our first meeting. He's so hot-headed. Just like his mother was," Minato stated.

Sakura's gaze drilled into him. Scrutinizing every inch of his expression. He had made it a point to use past-tense.

"I was frankly surprised by his rudeness. Usually when a man so obviously wants to fuck me, he starts off by playing nice," she said as casually as possible.

Minato's eyes widened. HIs shock was genuine. After a beat, he threw his head back and laughed. A full-bellied laugh that made his shoulders move up and down. It wasn't an unpleasant sound.

Pushing back from her desk, Sakura got out of her seat. She moved toward the window, leaning against it. Gauging the way that Minato's eyes followed after her.

"It's rare that someone is so frank about these things," he stated.

"What's the point in being coy? Lots of men have wanted to fuck me. I don't see the point in avoiding the truth," she pressed. Watching his face.

Minato's smile didn't fade as he responded, "That's true. After all. I do, too."

"And that's why you're here," she said.

"Yes. Although, if you were to turn me down, I'm also prepared to talk business with you. So either way, we'll be able to reach some sort of... mutual satisfaction today," he assured her. That arrogance was a little charming in its own way.

Sakura folded her arms across her chest. "So you think you can just waltz in here and seduce me?"

"Yes."

She had to admire that sort of confidence.

"My only concern is that your relationship with a certain yakuza might... complicate things," Minato pointed out.

Sakura's eyes moved from him to her phone siting on her desk. It reminded her, again, of how there had been no word from Itachi. Four days. Not a text. Not a call.

Minato stood very still as Sakura's gaze raked over him. And once she had taken in every detail about him, she walked up to him. A sway in her hips. Her red lips smiling as she closed her fingers around his tie.

"It doesn't," she replied. Each syllable touching his lower lip.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Пожалуйста, прекрати говорить," Sakura whispered.

Minato chuckled as his arms wrapped around her waist. It was a deep, rich sound. Like dark chocolate. Heavy, sweet, and bitter all at the same time.


	10. Chapter 10

**title** Give and Take  
 **summary** _The eyes just know._

* * *

"Boss. I've got news," Tenten said as soon as the line connected. Silence answered her. She heard Sakura sigh before she finally replied.

"Okay."

"Where are you?"

"Sai Ying Pun. Come alone," Sakura ordered. She hung up.

Tenten stared at her phone for a minute. Listening to the beeps as the call ended. Lee glanced at her before he resumed wrapping his knuckles.

"Are you heading out?" he asked her.

"Something's not right," she muttered, not hearing his question. That really got Lee's attention. Lowering his hands into his lap, he straightened his back.

"Is everything alright?" he demanded.

"Of course it's not. You know how she is," sighed Tenten as she grabbed her jacket. Lee chuckled.

"Yeah. Good luck with that," he called after her as she strode out of the training hall.

"Luck isn't what I need!" Tenten yelled without looking back at him.

Tenten parked her car a little while later. She walked into the lobby, her eyes flickering all around glossy, white room. A man wearing a baseball cap held the door for her as she passed. Tenten climbed the stairs up to the third floor, her hands in the pockets of her jacket.

Sakura answered the door. A white robe wrapped around her. Her wet hair curling at the ends.

The apartment in Sai Ying Pun was a newer purchase. It wasn't technically one of Sakura's actual properties. More like a safe house if she needed somewhere to rest for the night.

"What is it?" Sakura asked as she let Tenten inside. The door clicking shut after her.

Tenten glanced around.

"There's no one else here. Relax," Sakura then said. She gave Tenten a light push to the shoulder. When Tenten didn't crack a smile, Sakura studied the tightness of her face.

"Sit," she ordered. And Tenten settled in the plastic stool without protest. She sank into the chair with an odd sort of heaviness. Elbow up on the counter, Tenten watched Sakura run her fingers along one of the glass bottles on the counter. She poured them each a glass with a practiced hand before she slid one of the drinks to Tenten.

"Cognac?" Tenten asked, fingers curling around the cool glass.

"Do you care?" Sakura questioned in return.

"No," snorted Tenten. They clinked the drinks together before they drank in silence.

Sakura refilled Tenten's glass when it emptied. And Tenten did the same for her. Sakura rubbed her hand along her phoenix tattoo, her eyes finding the window above the sink. Hands falling heavy onto the counter once the glasses were empty again.

"Did you eat yet?" Sakura queried.

"No."

"Good."

An hour later, they sat at a small, square table. The fake wood top was slightly sticky. The cook shouted orders in the kitchen. Servers yelled back as they ran around with metal trays heavy with noodles and still-steaming dumplings. The patrons of the restaurant chattered as they gobbled down their meals.

"How were things in Tokyo?" Tenten asked.

" _Laau gaau_ ," Sakura replied. She ran her fingers through her hair. She fiddled with her necklace; the clasp had twisted all the way to the front. Sakura tugged the clasp back where it belonged. She reached for the box of cigarettes in her jacket pocket. Stopped when she realized that they were in public. She took a slurp of her lukewarm tea instead.

"Messy?" Tenten repeated as she pulled a pair of chopsticks from the container on the side. She handed them to Sakura before retrieving another for herself.

Sakura's eyes met hers. That was the advantage of knowing someone for so long. Tenten stopped asking questions. They ate their dim sum in silence. The only one who felt uncomfortable was probably the waitress.

It was only later that Sakura responded. Sitting on top of the old building. The smells of cooked meat and soy sauce drifting up from the ground level. A cigarette burning between her fingertips as she swung her legs back and forth. The white wisps drifting up toward the heaven, staining her nails with the smell of tobacco.

"The vultures are circling now that the Sarutobi-gumi's trying to decide on a successor," Sakura told her.

Tenten snorted, glancing down at her nails. "Should've decided earlier. The old man's like a million." The corners of Sakura's mouth pulled up a little despite the grim topic. Fumes spilled from the corner of her lips.

She caught the way Tenten shot her a furtive look before she asked, "And the Kumicho?"

"He wants stability."

"Typical. Sounds like him," Tenten then remarked. And Sakura could feel her building up to something. She decided to let her try.

"You know, the funniest part about this is that the Inuzuka-kai _agrees_ with him," Sakura pointed out.

"That'll be a first," Tenten responded. She tossed her lighter up in the air and caught it with one hand. "Anyway, my news. There was a police bust last night. A bunch of street racers in Kennedy Town. Apparently they were betting with drugs instead of cash," Tenten reported.

"Arrested?" Sakura asked without bothering to hear the rest of the story.

"One-Ear Wu and some of his crew. Cops confiscated the coke too."

Sakura sighed. "Little fuckers. Getting comfortable and doing useless shit."

Tenten nodded. She stayed quiet as Sakura considered what to do.

"Are they being held in Stanley?" Sakura inquired.

"Yeah. They might get moved to Pak Sha Wan if they're convicted," Tenten informed her.

"They will be. _Pok gaai_ ," Sakura grumbled the curse almost as an afterthought. And as she stewed, Sakura was very conscious of the way Tenten was looking at her. Not like she was waiting for orders. But like she was trying to decide whether to do something or not.

Tenten's eyes flickered to her again. And then down at the street. The way she asked her next question was deliberate. "The Kumicho sounds busy." An awkward way to change topics. Sakura humored her.

"Busy putting out fires," Sakura agreed.

"And that's why I saw Namikaze coming out of your building earlier?" Tenten went on.

Sakura paused. She took another drag of her cigarette. Clenching her teeth, she tilted her head toward Tenten. When she exhaled, the smoke seeped from her nostrils. "Did you?" Her voice growing soft.

Sakura was good at reading faces. She was great at reading Tenten's. She didn't like what she saw there. Blow for blow, Tenten could match her in a fight. But there was a reason why she had always been a step ahead of Tenten, who wore her heart on her sleeve.

"Tenten, I like you. But watch your mouth," Sakura warned. She ground her cigarette out against the edge of Tenten's jacket. Listening to the fabric sizzle, smelling the synthetic fibers singe in the heat. Tenten's eyes didn't leave hers.

Sakura got to her feet. "And yes, you did see him." She draped her jacket over her shoulders. "Nothing brings people together better than mutual hatred."

"Hatred of what?" Tenten asked.

Sakura's smile returned as she looked down at the other woman. "What did you see, Tenten?"

Tenten swallowed. Her jaw tight. "Nothing." And as soon as the word left her mouth, she turned away. Like saying the word filled her with shame.

Sakura left her there. She lit another cigarette as she headed down the stairs. Her heels tapping against the concrete as she followed the spiral down, down. Soles touching each step in an echoing rhythm. All the way down to the ground.

* * *

Rain began to fall heavy on the island a couple days later. Battering the trees, beating the tender leaves into submission. Tapping against glass panes in an effort to wash away the grime. And it felt like the rain was even beating down on the people, who hurried up and down the sidewalks with their shoulders hunched. Strings of their hoods drawn tight. Humidity fell on the city with suffocating force.

Sakura glanced at the glowing screen. It was another call from Itachi. She silenced it and flipped the phone over before she rolled onto her stomach. She would call him back later. Her arm dangled off the edge of the bed.

"Here."

Sakura looked up. Minato stood in his robe, holding out a bottle of water to her.

"Thanks."

She sat up and twisted the cap. Listening to the plastic snap as the seal broke. Minato sat next to her as she took a few gulps. Her eyes drifted to him as she replaced the cap. The pink lines on the left side of chest looked old and faded. But she recognized burn scars when she saw them. Minato followed her gaze and looked down.

"My father had a drinking problem," he told her.

"Save the sob story. I'm not interested," she interrupted. "You think anyone living like us had a happy family life?"

Minato was quiet for a moment. And then he chuckled. "You're right, I suppose." Hie gaze drifted to the window. At the cacophony of orange, green, and red glows from the neon signs above and below. The lights filled the window, reflected off the streets slick with rain.

"I know this is poor manners. But I have to ask."

Sakura stared down at the water bottle. "What?"

"Word is that you have Boss Uchiha eating out of the palm of your hand. What're you doing here with me?"

That made Sakura look up. A smirk curling her lips as she looked Minato in the face.

"What a boring question to ask, Mr. Namikaze," she replied.

A smile appeared on his face. The corners of his eyes crinkling just a little as he laughed. "Then let me ask you a more interesting question."

Sakura motioned for her him to proceed.

"What do you want this to be?" he inquired. She heard his hand slide over the bed and its silky sheets. Then she felt his fingers curl around her thigh. Her gaze flickered down to the touch, then back up to his face.

"You overestimate my interest in you. _You_ were the one that approached _me_ , remember?" Sakura retorted. She slapped his hand away.

She got to her feet to begin dressing.

"That's true. But let me just request one thing from you then, Dragon Head."

Sakura glanced over her shoulder at him.

"If you're going to try to kill me, at least give me a 15 minute head-start."

Sakura turned away so he wouldn't see her smile. "...Maybe," she replied.

They didn't say anything else as she dressed. She stepped into her heels and buckled the straps across her ankles. Her gold earrings jangled together as she straightened. Minato sat in the same spot, his arms folded across his chest.

"You know... you're not quite what I expected," he suddenly said to her.

Sakura draped her coat over her shoulders with an irritable click of her tongue. "Fuck your expectations," she snapped as she grabbed the door handle. Minato's laughter rang in her ears as she stepped into the hallway.

"Call me!" he called after her just before the door slammed shut.

* * *

A loud buzz rang out through the room. She knew when Tobirama sat. His hands hitting the table. Handcuffs jangling. The guards that were supposed to stand behind him eyed Sakura through the shatterproof glass. When she nodded, they took several steps back, eyes flickering to the security camera, which was angled the wrong way.

She took her time looking at him. Her gaze sliding over to his face. Around his cropped hair and his stubbly jaw. Freezing on his busted lip. He already had the receiver held up to his ear. Waiting. Eyes too bright with excitement as he watched her pick up her receiver on her end.

"Nice lipstick," she greeted him.

Tobirama smiled. Really smiled. Running a hand through his hair as he even chuckled a little. "I thought you liked One-Ear Wu."

"I did until he lost me..." Sakura trailed off. And then she raised five of her fingers twice. Tobirama's eyebrow rose.

"10 keys? _Diu lei_. No wonder you're pissed," he snorted.

Sakura leaned back in her seat. Her fingers tapping against the table as she thought. "How long did they put you in solitary for that?" she asked.

"Just three days. I didn't kill him. Probably broke his eye socket. Definitely broke his arm," answered Tobirama.

She had toyed with the idea of just having One-Ear Wu killed in prison. The guards could do it easily. Or even one of the other inmates could've been persuaded.

But she didn't know why Tobirama had come to mind. And she was still surprised that he had agreed so easily to it. All it had taken was for her to sneak him some cigarettes and other goods. She hadn't even said 'please'.

"Solitary must've been boring," she remarked.

"I had plenty to think about."

"Like killing me?" Sakura pretended to tease. But she was serious as she watched his face.

"Sometimes," he answered. His voice suddenly low. He lifted his chin to meet her eyes. "But then... sometimes..." His words softened around the edges. "I think that it'd all just be so fucking boring without you around."

" _Diu lan_ ," she sighed.

" _Hou sei la lei_ ," he answered just as easily. And even the swears they threw at each other didn't sting. They had lost that effect long ago.

"...Jing-Mei."

"Yeah?"

"You're the worst."

"Yeah. I know."

* * *

I won't be updating _Northern Lights_ for a bit in light of the protests in Hong Kong.


End file.
